Dangerous travel conditions expected to develop Sunday across Minnesota and Wisconsin and persist into early Monday.

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Tracking cases in Minnesota

Daily analysis on COVID-19 in MN 

Key metrics used to track the spread of the coronavirus in Minnesota continued to move in a positive direction on Sunday.

The Minnesota Department of Health’s Sunday update included two days’ worth of data, because of reporting delays over the Christmas holiday. But the numbers weren’t all that much different than recent single-day reports.

Sunday's two-day update showed 2,534 new cases from more than 88,000 test results — compared to 2,170 cases from about 53,000 tests in Saturday's single-day update.

Averaged over the past week, the test positivity rate in Minnesota has now dropped to about 4.7 percent — below the 5 percent threshold state officials have said is cause for concern.

The last time that weekly average positivity rate was below 5 percent was in the first week of October.

The average number of new COVID cases and hospital admissions each day in Minnesota are at their lowest levels in nearly two months.

But amid the encouraging news, the death toll continued to rise. State health officials reported 40 more COVID-19 deaths on Sunday — including 27 residents of long-term care facilities.

The overall pandemic death toll in Minnesota is now 5,147 — including 3,332 residents of long-term care facilities, or about 65 percent of the overall toll.

The latest two-day death toll is well below Minnesota’s recent average of more than 50 COVID deaths a day — but it wasn’t clear whether the holiday may have affected reporting.

; Sunday’s update included two days’ worth of data:

What does a COVID-19 ‘positivity rate’ really mean?

Understanding COVID-19 case rates over time

The number of active, confirmed cases in Minnesota dropped below 15,000 on Sunday — down from more than 50,000 at its peak in November, and the lowest it’s been since late October.

Even as they applaud the improving picture on caseloads and hospitalizations, state public health leaders have continued to warn that conditions could change dramatically if people don’t stay vigilant during the year-end holidays. 

They’re imploring people to wear masks in indoor gathering spaces, socially distance and take other measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

“We’re still in a situation where there’s just a lot of virus circulating in the community,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Wednesday. 

Malcolm praised Minnesotans for heeding the guidance on public gatherings and social distancing and said vaccinations will help even more. But she cautioned that it doesn’t mean Minnesota can let down its guard.

The state must still take precautions “to help the vaccine do its job,” Malcolm said. “This is important not just to protect yourself and your immediately family but protecting your neighbors or people in your community you don’t even know.”

7 questions, answered

Minnesota's vaccine distribution plan

250K COVID vaccine doses in Minnesota by year-end

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases  — more than 78,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 41,000 among people ages 20 to 24.

The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 31,000 total cases among those ages 15 to 19 since the pandemic began. 

Although less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up hospitalized, experts worry youth and young adults will spread it to grandparents and other vulnerable populations. 

It’s especially concerning because people can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 when they don’t have symptoms. 

MN critical care doctors sounding the alarm

In Minnesota and its neighbors in Upper Midwest

Central and western Minnesota drove much of the increase in new cases over the past two months, while Hennepin and Ramsey counties showed some of the slowest case growth in the state.

Cases continue to fall statewide, but still haven’t dipped down to their levels before the state’s COVID-19 surge that hit in November and early December. Controlling for testing volume, the case positivity rate is falling in almost every county in Minnesota. Even the state’s most populous, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, have had a positivity rate below 5 percent over the past week.

After a spike in confirmed cases through much of November and early December, all regions of the state have seen new case numbers fall. 

Hot spots continue to pop up in rural counties relative to their population.

Here’s what to do

If you test positive for the coronavirus this winter

Caseloads still heaviest among people of color

In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 has hit 

communities of color disproportionately hard

 in both cases and deaths. That’s been especially true for

Even as new case counts ease from their peak a few weeks ago, the data shows people of color continue to be hit hardest.

, together with deeply rooted health and economic disparities, have hampered efforts to boost testing among communities of color, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their personal information may be used to deport them.

How COVID is disproportionately hitting Minnesota’s Latino community

Similar trends have been seen among Minnesota’s Indigenous residents. Counts among Indigenous people

Walz extends pay cut for himself and his chief of staff

Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday he’s adding six months to a 10 percent pay cut that he and his chief of staff are taking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April, Walz imposed a pay cut for himself and agency commissioners to save the state money and show solidarity with people struggling due to restrictions he imposed. Those were set to expire next week.

A new executive order leaves the 10 percent pay cut in place for only two people: Walz and chief of staff Chris Schmitter. Walz earns $127,000 a year; Schmitter makes about $140,000. The Cabinet-level pay will return to prior levels. 

Walz said agency heads are working longer hours to manage the pandemic. Minnesota’s budget situation has also improved.

Walz also signed an executive order allowing out-of-state pharmacists to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine because of staffing strains among Minnesota pharmacists. 

Sauk Centre offers COVID-19 hospital workers a show of support:

 Last month, the CentraCare health system in central Minnesota announced it would shift its hospital in Sauk Centre to caring almost exclusively for patients with COVID-19. It was a big change for health care workers and residents of the close-knit town.

MSU Mankato addresses hunger on campus with free groceries now, food pantry in the spring:

 As COVID-19 continues to exacerbate the needs of people in Minnesota, including food access and hunger, those problems can also be found on college campuses. At Minnesota State University, Mankato, the college is stepping in to feed its students.

Minnesotans plan for expected federal relief payment: 

Most Minnesotans are expecting more COVID-19 relief money from the federal government, even as President Donald Trump floats the possibility of vetoing the stimulus package congressional Republicans and Democrats finally settled on. The president says direct payments should be more than three times larger than the $600 the House and Senate came up with.

Data in these graphs are based on the Minnesota Department of Health's cumulative totals released at 11 a.m. daily. You can find more detailed statistics on COVID-19 at the 

How it compares with other diseases in 5 charts

Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

Minnesota and the Upper Midwest

Minnesota News

Health

NewsPartners

COVID-19

MPR News Staff

Author

Sunday’s update from state health officials included two days’ worth of data — but the numbers weren’t much different than recent single-day reports. The average test positivity rate in Minnesota over the past week has dropped below 5 percent.

A sign reads "Welcome. Clean your hands. Take a clean face mask."

Christine T. Nguyen | MPR News

New COVID-19 related deaths reported in Minnesota each day

David H. Montgomery | MPR News

Active, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota

New COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota

New Minnesota COVID-19 cases by age, adjusted for population

MN counties with the fastest per-capita growth in COVID-19 cases

Dec. 27 update on COVID in MN: Test positivity rate over past week drops below 5 percent

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