Minnesota reports 519 new COVID-19 cases, 14 more deaths Tuesday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 519 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 new deaths Tuesday.

Minnesota has seen a total of 595,532 COVID-19 cases and 7,310 deaths attributed to the disease since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health.

The 519 newly reported deaths were out of 10,578 tests, a 4.9% test positivity rate. Minnesota’s seven-day rolling average test positivity rate is now at 5%, the lowest it has been since March. Anything over 5% indicates a high rate of community transmission of the virus, according to MDH.

Minnesota's mask mandate ends, officially

Minnesota's mask mandate ended suddenly Friday when the Minnesota Executive Council unanimously approved Gov. Tim Walz's order rescinding the requirement.

Nine of the 14 deaths were in the seven-county Twin Cities metro. Only two of the people who died were under the age of 65. None of the deaths reported on Tuesday were in long-term care facilities.

The number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 continues to decline week over week. There are currently 440 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Minnesota, down from 487 at this time last week.

Meanwhile, an estimated 62% of Minnesotans have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and around 53% are fully vaccinated.

Nearly 4.9 million vaccines have been administered in Minnesota to date.

Children ages 12-15 can now start getting vaccinated against COVID-19, although the Pfizer vaccine is the only one that has been authorized for use in children under 18. Find out how to get a COVID-19 appointment for your child here.