Minnesota reports 851 new COVID-19 cases, 18 deaths Wednesday

Minnesota health officials reported 851 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 additional deaths Wednesday. 

There have now been 457,317 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Minnesota since the beginning of the pandemic and a total of 6,124 Minnesotans have died from the disease to date, according to the latest state Department of Health data. 

The newly reported cases were out of 20,899 tests—a 4.0% positivity rate. The state’s seven-day average positivity rate is 3.9%. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH. 

Minnesota has averaged 1,191 new COVID-19 cases per day over the last week. 

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Ten of the 18 newly reported deaths were residents in a long-term care or assisted living facility. Over two-thirds of the state’s deaths have been in those types of facilities. 

Meanwhile, the pace of vaccinations is picking up in Minnesota. From Jan. 19-22, the state administered an average of 20,684 COVID-19 vaccinations per day. 

As of Jan. 27, 301,290 Minnesotans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.