COVID-19 cases up among all age groups in Minnesota, especially children and younger adults
(FOX 9) - COVID-19 cases are going up in all age groups in Minnesota, especially among children and younger adults, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Thursday.
The Minnesota Department of Health reported 1,973 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 more deaths Thursday. Half of the newly reported deaths were long-term care residents. Minnesota has now seen a total of 562,420 COVID-19 cases and 7,054 deaths since the pandemic began.
Each death this close to the finish line of the pandemic, "has a particularly heartbreaking feel," Malcolm said.
The 1,973 new cases reported on Thursday were out of 43,829 tests—a 4.5% positivity rate. The seven-day rolling average positivity rate peaked at 7.4% at the beginning of the month, but is now down to 7.3%, although it is a lagging indicator. Anything over 5% indicates a high rate of community transmission. However, the rate of growth in Minnesota’s cases has shown signs of stabilizing in the last week or so, according to Malcolm.
One of the biggest problems in Minnesota is variants. MDH estimates over 60% of Minnesota’s COVID-19 cases right now are the B.1.1.7. variant, which is more contagious and results more frequently in hospitalizations.
There are currently 683 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across Minnesota, 196 of whom are in the ICU. Malcolm said the average age of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Minnesota is now younger than during the fall surge, now 59 years old compared to 69 in November and December.
Spread of COVID-19 among young people 'particularly worrisome'
While the rate of growth in Minnesota’s COVID-19 cases may be starting to stabilize overall, Malcolm said the spread of the virus among younger people has become "particularly worrisome" over the last month.
School-related cases of COVID-19 among students currently exceeds the high level set in November during the fall surge. Malcolm said the transmission rate needs to come down if there is a hope of having proms and graduations in person this spring.
As of Thursday, the state is no longer requiring athletes to wear masks while playing outdoor sports, although they will still be required on the sidelines and during indoor sports. However, MDH is recommending athletes, coaches and officials be tested for COVID-19 weekly.
Students who do not participate in sports or group activities are encouraged to get tested every two weeks.
Over 2.3 million Minnesotans have at least 1 vaccine dose
Meanwhile, over 2.3 million Minnesotans now have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over 1.6 million are fully vaccinated, which is roughly 53.3% and 38% of the state’s population that are currently eligible respectively.
Minnesota has administered over 3.8 million doses of the vaccine to date.
Health officials are continuing to encourage people to get vaccinated. Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann said if you were waiting to get the vaccine so more vulnerable people could get it first, "it’s now OK to take your place in line."