Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 'A race between the variants and the vaccine'
State public health leaders are again imploring people to remain vigilant against COVID-19, saying they were increasingly concerned about Minnesotans easing back because the weather warms and therefore the vaccination picture brightens.
Officials warn the highly contagious U.K. strain, now with an edge in Minnesota, has the potential to spread throughout the state. There are quite 300 cases confirmed now.
Hots spots of the latest cases are bubbling within the southwest Twin Cities suburbs, in southern Minnesota around Mankato, and northern Minnesota on the eastern end of the Iron Range.
Here are Minnesota’s current COVID-19 statistics:
6,771 deaths (9 new)
502,893 positive cases; 97 percent off isolation
24 percent of Minnesotans with a minimum of 1 vaccine dose
78 percent 65 and older with a minimum of 1 vaccine dose
While the state’s made progress in vaccinations, especially among those age 65 and older, it hasn’t yet vaccinated enough people to determine herd immunity, and there’s a danger of another surge.
“We are during a race between the variants and therefore the vaccine, and therefore the decisions we all make within the next few weeks will have tons to mention about the result of this race,” Kris Ehresmann, the state’s communicable disease director, told reporters. “We got to take care a touch while longer.”
Vaccination pace improves, but still flat
Friday’s vaccination data showed some promise after several days of lackluster data.
The Health Department reported 58,514 more vaccinations, significantly above last Friday. The seven-day trend is now running at nearly 41,000 shots daily. The trend’s been mostly flat to declining recently. That’s not necessarily bad since vaccine supplies are expected to leap soon.
Case counts and hospitalizations, however, are beginning to slowly rise again and new hot spots are bubbling, reinforcing the assumption that Minnesota’s during a race now to vaccinate people quickly enough to avoid another statewide COVID-19 surge.
More than 788,000 people — about 14.2 percent of the state’s population — have completed their vaccinations, while quite 1.3 million — 24 percent — have received a minimum of one dose, including nearly 78 percent of individuals age 65 and older.
Minnesota anticipates getting 350,000 doses the week of March 29, Gov. Tim Walz said Friday. Starting in April, officials also expect the feds to deliver 100,000 doses every week of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which needs just one dose.
Active cases up; Carver Co., Iron Range hot spots
Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers show disease conditions relatively stable compared to the late fall surge, but caution lights are flashing.
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There has been a clear rise recently within the count of known, active cases. Friday’s data shows 10,210 cases, marking eight consecutive days with active counts above 8,000, a stretch not seen since late January. It’s also the primary time since late January that active cases pushed above 10,000.
While current counts are still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given the concerns about the rise of the U.K. COVID-19 strain. Ehresmann said her agency suspects the U.K. variant is driving the present upswing.
Hospitalizations are still low compared to the late-fall surge, but those counts also are creeping up: 316 people were hospitalized as of Wednesday, with 74 needing medical care.
Nine newly reported deaths brought Minnesota’s collective toll to six,771. Among those who’ve died, about 63 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems.
The state has recorded 502,893 total confirmed or probable cases thus far within the pandemic, including 1,449 posted Friday. About 97 percent of Minnesotans known to be infected with COVID-19 within the pandemic have recovered to the purpose where they did not get to be isolated.
The state is recommending children across the state be tested every fortnight for COVID-19, with student-athletes tested weekly; officials also are asking everyone in Carver County to urge tested.
The Health Department on Thursday also warned of “dramatic increases” in COVID-19 cases within the eastern end of Minnesota’s Iron Range centered around the town of Aurora. It didn’t say what percentage of cases but officials will open a free testing site in Aurora on Monday and Tuesday.
Ehresmann also mentioned a hot spot now in and around Mankato.
As of Friday, there have been some 317 cases of the U.K. variant confirmed statewide, she added. Twelve people are hospitalized statewide from that strain; two have died
Cases spread across age groups, regions
People in their 20s still structure the age group with the state’s largest several confirmed cases — quite 94,000 since the pandemic began, including quite 49,000 among those ages 20 to 24.
The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with nearly 40,000 total cases among those ages 15 to 19 since the pandemic began.
With kids increasingly returning to high school buildings and sports, Minnesota public health officials are urging Minnesota families with children to urge tested every fortnight for COVID-19 now until the top of the varsity year.
Although children are less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and find themselves hospitalized, experts worry youth will spread it unknowingly to older relatives and members of other vulnerable populations.
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Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in significantly better shape than they were in late November and early December. Some areas are seeing upticks in cases.
While officials monitor the recent uptick inactive cases, overall trends have improved to the purpose where Walz last week announced a rollback of many of the state’s remaining pandemic restrictions. “Normalcy is on the horizon,” the governor said.
But it’s almost there yet. On Wednesday, Walz said that he, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm were quarantined due to possible COVID-19 exposure.
Caseloads among people of color
In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 has hit communities of color disproportionately hard in both cases and deaths. That’s been very true for Minnesotans of Hispanic descent for much of the pandemic.
Even as new case counts still track well below their late November, early December peaks, the info shows Latino people still be hit hard.
Distrust of the govt, along with side deeply rooted health and economic disparities, have hampered efforts to spice up testing among communities of color, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their personal information could also be wont to deport them.
Walz has acknowledged that distrust by communities of color has been a drag during the pandemic. Officials have offered up some data on vaccinations weakened by race and ethnicity. The state is updating the info weekly.
Malcolm has said the state is committed to doing more to expand vaccine access to people of color, including getting more doses to community pharmacies, partnering with local groups, and deploying mobile vaccination clinics.
Latest developments
North Dakota to expand vaccination pool to the overall public this month
North Dakota health officials say that vaccinations for the coronavirus are going to be available to the overall public beginning March 29.
The state says some regions of the state could enter the Phase 2 vaccination phase even sooner. Health care workers, long-term care residents and staff, and older adults were the primary to be vaccinated.
The state’s Health Department said as of Friday, almost 195,000 people in North Dakota had received a minimum of one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. there have been 119 new cases of the coronavirus reported Friday and one new death.
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