Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The race is on to vaccinate Minnesotans quickly enough to avoid another statewide COVID-19 surge. While that pace remains flat, the state did get some good news on Monday — zero new deaths, the first time that’s happened in a non-holiday daily report since mid-April.

The Health Department reported about 32,600 more vaccinations, down from the prior Monday. The seven-day trend is now running about 41,000 shots daily, roughly what it’s been for the past few weeks.

While frustrating, the flat pace may end up only a short-term worry. Minnesota expects to see federal vaccine shipments jump soon. 

Officials, however, are increasingly anxious about the case growth tied to the highly contagious U.K. COVID-19 variant and to youth sports. 

 — about 15.3 percent of the state’s population — have completed their vaccinations, while more than 1.4 million — 25.7 percent — have received at least one dose, including about 79 percent of people age 65 and older.

Tracking cases in Minnesota

From around the region

Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota

Uptick in active cases; regional outbreaks concerning

Disease conditions remain relatively stable compared to the late fall surge — but caution lights are flashing.

The number of known, active is cases is rising again. Monday’s data showed 10,315 active cases, marking four consecutive days with active counts above 10,000, a stretch not seen since late January. 

While current counts are still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given the concerns about the rise of the so-called U.K. COVID-19 strain. State health officials have said they suspect the U.K. variant is driving the current upswing.

Hospitalizations are still low compared to the late-fall surge, but those counts are creeping up as well. Health Department data showed 318 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals as of Sunday; 77 needed intensive care.

With no reported deaths on Monday, Minnesota’s collective toll remained at 6,782. Among those who’ve died, about 63 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems. 

The state has recorded 506,376 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 1,152 reported Monday. About 97 percent of Minnesotans known to be infected with COVID-19 in the pandemic have recovered to the point where they no longer need to be isolated.

What to know about Minnesota's latest COVID dialback

Minnesota expands vaccine eligibility

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 94,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 49,000 among those ages 20 to 24.

The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 40,000 total cases among those ages 15 to 19 since the pandemic began. 

With kids increasingly returning to school buildings and sports, Minnesota public health officials are urging Minnesota families with children to get tested every two weeks for COVID-19 now until the end of the school year.

Although young people are less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up hospitalized, experts worry youth will spread it unknowingly to older relatives and members of other vulnerable populations. Those with the coronavirus can spread it when they don’t have symptoms. 

What you need to know about getting a vaccine in MN

Check your spot

Minnesota's restriction dial-back

Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in significantly better shape than they were in late November and early December. Some areas are seeing upticks in cases.

Public health leaders continue to keep close watch on hot spots in the southwest Twin Cities metro — specifically Carver and Scott counties — as well as the Mankato area and the eastern Iron Range, centered around the town of Aurora. 

The state is recommending young people across the state be tested every two weeks for COVID-19, with student athletes tested weekly; officials are also asking everyone in Carver County to get tested.

Here’s what to do

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 continue to track well below their late November, early December peaks, the data shows Latino people continue to be hit hard.

COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by race, ethnicity

, 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.

Gov. Tim Walz has acknowledged that distrust by communities of color has been a problem during the pandemic. Officials have offered up some data on 

vaccinations broken down by race and ethnicity

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm has said the state is committed to doing more to expand vaccine access to people of color, including getting more doses to community pharmacies, partnering with local groups and deploying mobile vaccination clinics. 

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 

The state of Minnesota will open a seventh permanent COVID-19 community vaccination site this week in Mankato.

The site will be at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato. It joins existing COVID-19 vaccination sites in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Rochester, St. Cloud and Duluth.

Those state sites are just one option for eligible Minnesotans to get the vaccine, along with pharmacies, clinics and pop-up vaccination events. More information is available on the state's 

Everything you need to know about getting COVID shots in MN

Tracking the vaccination progress in the U.S.

Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

Minnesota News

Health

NewsPartners

COVID-19

MPR News Staff

Author

The race is on to vaccinate Minnesotans quickly enough to avoid another statewide COVID-19 surge. The state did get some good news Monday — zero new deaths  reported, the first time that’s happened since mid-April.

A man talks to a woman while pointing directions. 

Derek Montgomery for MPR News file

Newly reported COVID-19 vaccine doses in Minnesota

David H. Montgomery | MPR News

Graph projecting when most Minnesotans will get vaccinated

Active, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota

Graph of new ICU and non-ICU COVID-19 hospitalizations

New COVID-19 related deaths reported in Minnesota each day

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

March 22 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccination pace flat; no new deaths reported

Go Deeper.

Like this?