Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

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

Minnesota’s newest COVID-19 data shows the state’s vaccination pace staying flat while active cases and hospitalizations rise.

The Health Department on Tuesday reported about 11,400 more vaccinations. While that’s higher last Tuesday, the seven-day vaccination trend is still running at around 41,000 shots daily, roughly what it’s been for the past few weeks.

The flat pace may end up only a short-term concern since Minnesota expects to see federal vaccine shipments jump next week and into April. But that bump can’t come soon enough.

Officials are increasingly anxious about rising cases tied to the highly contagious U.K. COVID-19 variant and to youth sports. On Tuesday, they said they’ve confirmed 479 cases of the U.K. strain, adding that it’s becoming a growing piece of the new COVID-19 caseloads. 

“It is already dominating” the most recent case growth, Dr. Ruth Lynfield, the state’s epidemiologist, told reporters. Cases among youth are the "leading edge of the spread of variants,” she said, adding that it may be because of their interactions or the lack of vaccination.

 — about 15.4 percent of the state’s population — have completed their vaccinations, while more than 1.4 million — 25.8 percent — have received at least one dose, including about 79 percent of people age 65 and older.

For those who’ve received a complete vaccination, the results look good so far. Of the more than 800,000 people completely vaccinated, the state’s identified only 89 who’ve subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Tuesday. 

Tracking cases in Minnesota

From around the region

Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota

Uptick in active cases; worrisome regional outbreaks

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. Tuesday’s data showed 10,102 active cases — marking five consecutive days with active counts above 10,000, a stretch not seen since late January. 

While that’s still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given the worries over the rise of the so-called U.K. COVID-19 strain. State health officials 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 325 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals; 87 needed intensive care. That’s the highest number of ICU patients since late January.

Seven deaths reported on Tuesday — including a person in their 20s — raised Minnesota’s collective toll to 6,789. 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 507,231 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 870 reported Tuesday. 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 dial-back

Minnesota expands vaccine eligibility

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — some 95,000 since the pandemic began, including nearly 50,000 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

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. 

Listen to the health department call here.

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

Shows

Morning Edition

NewsPartners

COVID-19

MPR News Staff

Author

Officials are increasingly anxious about cases tied to the highly contagious U.K. COVID-19 variant and to youth sports. On Tuesday, they said they’ve confirmed 479 cases of the U.K. strain, adding that it’s “dominating” new case reports.

The state got some good news Monday — zero new deaths reported, the first time that’s happened since last April.

Waiting for another vaccination surge

A woman talks to a patient before giving him a vaccine. 

Derek Montgomery for MPR News

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 23 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccination pace flat; active cases trend higher

Go Deeper.

Like this?