Minnesota reports 1,612 new COVID-19 cases, 18 deaths Tuesday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 1,612 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 additional deaths Tuesday.

The Minnesota Department of Health has recorded a total of 425,262 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 5,461 deaths from the disease since the first infection was reported in the state in March.

The 1,612 newly reported cases were out of 15,666 completed tests—a positivity rate of 10.3%. However, MDH typically reports lower testing volumes on Tuesdays, particularly after a holiday weekend.

Nearly 96% of Minnesota’s cases have recovered to the point where the infected person no longer requires isolation.

Early intervention prevented mass COVID-19 outbreaks among homeless in Twin Cities metro

Officials say early intervention prevented mass COVID-19 outbreaks among the homeless in the Twin Cities metro.

Seven of the 18 deaths reported Tuesday were in the Twin Cities metro while the rest were in Greater Minnesota, according to the latest MDH data. Seven of the deaths were residents of long-term care facilities or assisted living facilities.

The youngest person who died was a Wilkin County resident in their late 30s. The other 17 deaths were among people 50 or older.

There are currently 842 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota, up from 810 the day before. Of those 842 patients, 155 are in the ICU.

Minnesota vows slow-moving COVID vaccine rollout will quicken

Minnesota health officials say that the state's slow-moving coronavirus vaccine rollout will speed up in January and vow that every willing health care worker and long-term care resident will get a shot by the end of the month.

Minnesota has begun vaccinating the highest priority group, which includes front line health care workers and long-term care residents, against COVID-19. To date, 80,857 vaccines have been administered across the state.