ST PAUL, Minn. — Monday, March 15
- Minnesota likely to hit half-million COVID cases this week
- Health officials, sports leaders speak on COVID-19 variant concerns
- Minnesota adds CVS, Goodrich Pharmacy to Federal Retail Pharmacy Program network
- Walz rolls back COVID restrictions, increases capacity at bars and restaurants, businesses, large venues
2 p.m.
Minnesota health officials, along with local sports leaders, held a briefing about the state's COVID-19 situation. You can watch it below.
On the call, MDH Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff said a cluster of COVID-19 variant cases connected to youth sports has health officials "very concerned." He said MDH has found more than 250 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in more than two dozen Minnesota counties.
Specifically, he spoke on a cluster of about 140 COVID-19 cases in the Carver County area, connected "primarily" through youth sports and recreation. Of the cluster, he said 32 have been confirmed to be the B.1.1.7 variant. Analysis is pending on another 67 of the cases, and the remaining cases could not be sequenced.
Huff said due to the variant's potential to cause "setbacks" in Minnesota's fight against COVID-19, the state is responding "aggressively." He said health officials recommended a two-week county-wide pause of youth sports in Carver County. If teams choose not to pause, he said MDH recommends a rigid weekly testing protocol for all student athletes, and students in other activities that make social distancing difficult. MDH also recommends student athletes get tested three days before games.
In Carver County specifically, Huff reminded listeners that a new temporary testing site has opened. For students across the state, he said testing every two weeks is still recommended.
"We're so close to the light at the end of the tunnel," Huff said. "But this thing's not over." He urged Minnesotans to continue following mitigation measures like testing, wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Local sports leaders also spoke on the call, highlighting the mitigation measures their organizations are following. Those leaders are Heidi Miler, who is the head coach of the WEST Express Swim Team; and Glen Andresen, who is the executive director of Minnesota Hockey.
Kevin Borg, the superintendent of Westonka Public Schools, also spoke on the call.
11 a.m.
Data released by state health officials Monday reflects 829 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the past day, pushing Minnesota closer to the dubious milestone of a half-million cases since the start of the pandemic.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says total cases of the virus here have now reached 498,218, making it likely the state will reach the 500,000 mark by the end of the week. Of those total cases, 26,071 are backed by antigen tests. Health officials say a positive antigen test is considered a probable COVID case, while a positive PCR test is documented as a confirmed case.
Testing volume was fairly low in the reporting period, with 16,417 tests (15,906 PCR, 511 antigen) processed at private and state labs.
One additional death from COVID was reported, bringing total fatalities attributed to the virus to 6,747. Of those deaths 4,241, or 63% of them are tied to assisted living or long-term care settings.
As of Saturday 1,260,771 Minnesotans had received at least one dose of vaccine, 22.7% of the state's 5.6 million residents. Of people age 65 and older, 76% have received one or more immunizations. In the age bracket between 50 and 64, 22% have been administered one or more doses.
MDH says 724,692 people have completed the two-shot series.
Hospitalizations are slightly up, with 260 people currently being treated for COVID across the state on an in-patient basis, with 59 of those patients in ICU. Bed availability is up a bit at hospitals in the Twin Cities metro, with 5% of non-ICU beds open as of Sunday. Total hospitalizations are at 26,295 since the start of the pandemic.
MDH says 482,984 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have improved to the point they no longer require isolation.
Young adults between ages 20 and 24 make up the largest grouping of cases in the state with 49,206 and three deaths, followed by those 25 to 29 with 44.371 and six deaths. The largest age grouping of deaths involves people between 85 and 89, with 1,280 fatalities in just 6,411 cases.
Hennepin County has recorded the most COVID activity with 103,329 cases and 1,627 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 43,890 cases and 829 deaths, Dakota County with 37,433 cases and 400 deaths, and Anoka County with 34,081 cases and 402 deaths.
Cook County has the least activity with 127 cases.
Sunday, March 14
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 997 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, along with five new deaths.
MDH's COVID-19 case definition includes both antigen testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases, while positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.
Sunday's new case total includes 815 confirmed cases and 182 probable cases.
As for vaccinations, MDH says 1,240,140 people have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose -- about 22.3% of the state's population. Of that group, 707,776 have received a completed vaccine series. That's about 12.7% of the population.
About 74.9% of Minnesotans who are 65 and older have received at least one dose, MDH says.
The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 497,392, with 26,010 of those as antigen test results.
MDH says five new deaths from the virus were reported. That pushes the total number of fatalities in Minnesota to 6,746.
To date, 26,279 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 5,428 of them needing care in the ICU.
MDH reports that 482,053 people once diagnosed with the virus have passed the point where they are required to isolate.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.