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Minnesota's average COVID-19 test positivity rate dips below 5% caution threshold

By Allie Johnson
Published  May 20, 2021 11:53am CDT
Coronavirus in Minnesota
FOX 9

(FOX 9) - Minnesota’s seven-day average test positivity rate for COVID-19 has dipped below the 5% caution threshold for the first time since late March, the latest health department data shows.  

The seven-day average of 4.8% is accurate as of May 12, due to the data lag period, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The average test positivity rate hit 7.4% in early April during the spring surge in COVID-19 infections. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates a high rate of community transmission.

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MDH reported 874 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday and eight additional deaths attributed to the disease. Minnesota has now seen a total of 597,052 COVID-19 cases and 7,333 deaths since the pandemic began.  

The 874 newly reported COVID-19 cases were out of 31,604 tests, a 2.8% positivity rate.  

Half of the deaths reported on Thursday were in the seven-county Twin Cities metro. Only two of the people who died were under the age of 65 and one person who died was a long-term care facility resident.  

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are continuing to decline week over week, with 412 people currently in hospitals across Minnesota, compared to 453 at this time last week. Of those 412 patients, 109 are in the ICU.  

Meanwhile, MDH reports 62.4% of Minnesotans over the age of 16 have at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 54.7% are fully vaccinated.  

Over 4.9 million vaccine doses have been administered in Minnesota to date.