ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on Feb. 11.
- Allina Health relaxes visitor guidelines
- MDH reports 32 new COVID-related deaths
- Mayo Clinic modeling shows COVID decline in coming weeks
- Minneapolis, St. Paul lift vaccine mandate on bars and restaurants
Tuesday, Feb. 15
2:15 p.m.
Citing decreasing COVID-19 cases throughout Minnesota, Allina Health announced Tuesday that the hospital system has moved from red to yellow visitor status. Under the yellow status, people in outpatient and inpatient settings are allowed to have one visitor per day, with some limited exceptions.
11 a.m.
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 32 new COVID-19 deaths in the state.
Minnesota's cumulative death total is at 11,862 since the pandemic began.
Health officials say 5,484 deaths have taken place in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
Data shows that 92.9% of adult ICU beds across the state are filled, while the percentage of non-ICU beds is at 93.5%. Pediatric bed openings are slightly better, with 82.9% of ICU beds in Minnesota being used and 88.4% of non-ICU beds for children filled.
According to MDH's latest data available, 898 people are being treated for COVID in hospitals around the state, with 753 in non-ICU beds and 145 in the ICU.
MDH reported 9,341,724 total doses of vaccine have been administered in the state, with 3,867,610 people age 5 and older having received at least one shot (74.2%). Of that number 3,633,160 people have completed their COVID series and are considered completely vaccinated (69.7%).
Among children 5-11 years old, 200,592 kids have at least one shot (39%) and 168,335 have completed their vaccine series (33%).
On Tuesday, 6,469 new COVID-19 cases in the state were announced, however health officials note that the number of new cases does not accurately portray the full extent and reality of the coronavirus pandemic. Many additional cases have been identified by at-home tests and are not accounted for in MDH's data.
As you can see from the chart below COVID-19 cases have dropped sharply recently, according to data from MDH.
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Monday, Feb. 14
3:15 p.m.
The Mayo Clinic's latest COVID-19 tracking update for Minnesota shows case numbers have dropped significantly across the state in the past two weeks.
Mayo Clinic's data shows average daily cases peaked at 259.4 per 100,000 people on Jan. 27. Two weeks later, on Feb. 11, average daily cases had dropped by nearly two-thirds, to 88.1 per 100,000 people.
Mayo's trend calculations include a forecast for the next 14 days, which projects case levels to continue to decline, though at a slower pace, with a prediction of 39-to-57 cases per 100,000 people by the end of February.
3 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is making some adjustments to COVID-19 community testing centers, as tests remain in high demand following the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant.
The state testing site at MSP Airport will once again accept walk-ins, though MDH says appointments are still recommended.
In addition, a federal testing site at the Minnesota Department of Transportation is closing on Monday; however, the federal testing team will remain in Minnesota for three more weeks, operating out of the Anoka Armory from Feb. 16 to March 8.
A full list of community testing locations and hours of operation can be found on the MDH website.
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health announced Monday that 33 new coronavirus-related deaths have been reported.
Since March of 2020, the MDH has reported 11,830 COVID-19 deaths in the state. Of those, 5,477 have been tied to long-term care or assisted living facilities.
Across Minnesota, MDH reports that there are 1,010 patients hospitalized with COVID, and 150 of those are in the ICU.
The state's hospital bed usage is marginally improving, based on the latest data published by the MDH. Data shows that 94.4% of adult hospital beds are in use, with 93.9% of adult ICU beds being used. For children, 91.3% of hospital beds are being used, and 81.5% of ICU beds for kids are being used.
Minnesota's vaccine rate remains consistent, with the vaccination rate in children lagging behind.
Since the vaccine rollout began, MDH reports that 9,324,074 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered. Currently, 3,864,569 people over the age of 5 receiving at least one dose, 74.1% of those eligible, and 3,627,705 people receiving their full vaccine series (69.6%).
In children ages five through 11, the vaccination rate is much lower, according to MDH data. So far, 199,680 kids in Minnesota have received one dose (39%) and 166,083 are fully vaccinated (33%).
On Monday, MDH reported 4,338 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the statewide total number of cases since the pandemic began to 1,392,731. However, health officials do note that the number of new cases does not accurately portray the full extent and reality of the coronavirus pandemic. Many additional cases have been identified by at-home tests due to the latest surge fueled by the more infectious omicron variant, and are not accounted for in MDH's data.