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Minnesota reports 1,713 new COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths Sunday

Published  May 2, 2021 11:07am CDT
Coronavirus in Minnesota
FOX 9

(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Health reported 1,713 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths Sunday.

Minnesota has now seen 579,235 COVID-19 cases and 7,160 deaths attributed to the disease since the pandemic began. 

Doctors: You should still get vaccinated even if you already beat COVID-19 once

Minnesota health leaders are urging everyone who is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine -- even if you have already beat the virus once.

The 1,713 newly reported cases were out of 35,781 tests, a 4.7% positivity rate. The state’s seven-day average positivity rate has dropped to about 6.3%, down from its spring peak at 7.4% in early April. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates a high rate of community transmission. 

The six deaths reported on Sunday were all people who lived in private residences. 

Hospitalizations are decreasing once again. There are currently about 619 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Minnesota, down from a high of 699 on April 14. Of those 619 patients, 166 are in the ICU. 

Meanwhile, more than 2.5 million Minnesotans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and more than 1.9 million are fully vaccinated.

Finding a vaccine appointment is no longer as difficult as it once was, according to MDH. There are plenty of available appointments at pharmacies, health systems and county vaccination clinics across the state. As of this week, Minnesotans can now sign up for appointments at one of the state-run community vaccination clinics through the Vaccine Connector website directly—no more waiting to be randomly selected. 

GET YOUR SHOT: How to make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Education says the Mall of American community vaccination clinic is prioritizing 16 and 17 year olds for appointments this week to get the Pfizer vaccine, which is only vaccine currently authorized for use on people under 18. Click here for more information and to schedule an appointment.