Nearly 20% of Minnesota seniors have received at least 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 633 new cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths Tuesday. 

The newly reported cases bring the total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Minnesota since the pandemic began to 463,162, according to the latest state Department of Health data. To date, 6,210 Minnesotans have died after testing positive for the virus.  

The 633 new cases reported on Tuesday were out of 10,221 tests—a 6.2% positivity rate. Minnesota’s average is now 3.8%. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH. 

Six of the eight deaths attributed to COVID-19 were in the Twin Cities metro. Five of the people who died were residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities. Over two-thirds of Minnesota’s COVID-19 deaths have been in those types of facilities. 

The deaths included a Ramsey County resident in their late 30s and a Hennepin County resident in their early 40s. The other six deaths were all people between the ages of 70 and 99. 

As of Jan. 31, 447,610 people in Minnesota have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is 10.4% of the state’s adult population. A total of 116,928 people are fully inoculated, or 2.7% of the adult population. 

So far, 161,586 Minnesota seniors, or 19.5% of adults age 65 and older, have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. 

Minnesota health officials said they would distribute 98,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week, the most yet. More than 50,000 doses would go to Phase 1A health care workers that remain to be vaccinated. Another 35,000 would go to seniors and 11,000 will go to teachers and child care workers.