ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on Jan. 24.
- MDH reports 52 new deaths on Wednesday
- New COVID-19 testing site opens in St. Paul
- Twin Cities' omicron surge could peak soon, health experts say
- Ticketed events prepare for new vaccination requirements
- MDH gives guidelines to get at-home COVID tests covered by insurance
Wednesday, Jan 26
11 a.m.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 52 new COVID-19 deaths in the state.
Minnesota's cumulative death total is at 11,282 since the pandemic began. Health officials say 5,306 of those fatalities have taken place in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
According to MDH's latest data available, 1,553 people are being treated for COVID in hospitals around the state, with 1,326 in non-ICU beds and 227 in the ICU.
MDH reported 9,142,578 total doses of vaccine have been administered in the state, with 3,828,368 people age 5 and older having received at least one shot (73.5%). Of that number 3,585,745 people have completed their COVID series and are considered completely vaccinated (68.8%).
Among children 5-11 years old, 186,077 kids have at least one shot (37%) and 148,684 have completed their vaccine series (29%).
On Wednesday, 15,572 new COVID-19 cases in the state were announced. However, the latest data published likely does not p full picture of the current coronavirus surge, which has been fueled largely due to the omicron variant, as many at-home COVID tests were not reported to state health officials.
Health experts also say that due to the contagiousness of omicron, counting new cases should not be the primary measurement, saying hospitalizations and deaths better illustrate the severity of the latest surge.
Tuesday, Jan. 25
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health announced on Tuesday morning that the state has reported 37 new COVID-19-related deaths and 35,504 new COVID-19 cases. Health officials note that the number of new cases does not accurately portray the full extent and reality of the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to the latest surge being fueled by the more infectious omicron variant, at-home tests are not accounted for in MDH's data and the backlog of tests was included in the latest batch of data. MDH estimates that there are 19,525 new positive reports of COVID-19 that are still waiting for review.
MDH has reported 11,230 COVID-related deaths since the pandemic began in 2020 and of those, 5,292 happened in assisted living or long-term care facilities.
As of Jan. 25, according to MDH, 3,825,849 (73.4%) people in Minnesota have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine and of those, 3,583,371 (68.8%) have completed their vaccine series. A total of 9,129,939 doses of the vaccines have been administered in the state.
MDH's newest data continues to show vaccination rates in children lag behind the rest of the state. In children ages 5 through 11, 185,093 (36%) kids have received at least one dose and of those, 147,747 (29%) have been fully vaccinated.
Currently, MDH reports that 1,507 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized and of those, 228 are in the ICU.
KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, and kare11.com/vaccine for answers to all of your questions about vaccines. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.
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