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An encouraging rise in Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccination pace is pushing the trend line in the right direction. Active cases, however, continue to edge higher. 

The Health Department on Monday reported about 32,000 new vaccinations, roughly the same as last Monday. Still, the seven-day trend rose to more than 44,000 shots daily, the highest since vaccinations began in late December.

That’s welcome news following weeks where the pace was flat to declining. 

 — about 17.8 percent of the state’s population — have completed their vaccinations while more than 1.6 million — 28.9 percent — have received at least one dose, including more than 80 percent of people age 65 and older.

Officials remain concerned about rising caseloads tied to the U.K. COVID-19 variant and to youth sports. They’ve confirmed more than 500 cases of the U.K. strain in recent weeks and believe as many half the state’s new cases may be tied to that variant.

Minnesota making all adults eligible for vaccine

Find a COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota

They believe it’s a race at this point to get as many Minnesotans vaccinated as quickly as possible to hold off another surge in cases. Starting Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of more Minnesotans will become eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as the state begins offering shots to any resident 16 and older.

Tracking cases in Minnesota

From MPR News

Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota

Regional outbreaks concerning; active cases up

After a relatively stable stretch following a late fall surge, warning lights are flashing around Minnesota’s COVID-19 disease data.

The number of known, active cases has been trending upward over the past couple weeks, with 13,010 active cases as of Monday’s report, marking 11 consecutive days with active counts above 10,000, a stretch not seen since late January. 

It’s the first time active cases have topped 13,000 since mid-January.

While still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given the worries over the rise of the U.K. COVID-19 strain, which state health officials suspect is driving the current upswing. 

Hospitalizations are low compared to the late-fall surge, but those counts are creeping up as well. Health Department data showed 343 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals; 88 needed intensive care.

Five deaths reported on Monday raised Minnesota’s overall pandemic death toll to 6,835. Among those who’ve died, about 62 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems. 

The state has recorded 516,608 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 1,550 posted Monday. About 96 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.

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

Here’s what to do

Public health leaders continue to keep watch on clusters 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. There’s also an outbreak now in Ely, northeast of Aurora.

What to know about Minnesota's latest COVID dial-back

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 96,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 50,000 among those ages 20 to 24.

The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with nearly 41,000 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. 

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.

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

Jan Malcolm, the state health commissioner, 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 

A glimpse at the road to recovery after a difficult battle with COVID-19:

 After more than a month in Mayo’s ICU, doctors weren’t sure Gabe Pastores would make it out alive. And then one day he started to get better, marking the start of a long recovery that Pastores said he’s determined to conquer.

How to find a COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota: 

Here's what you need to know about the many ways to sign up for vaccination in Minnesota — and what to consider as you do.

How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota

Tracking the vaccination progress in the U.S.

Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

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An encouraging rise in Minnesota vaccinations has the trend line headed in the right direction as officials prepare to open vaccine eligibility to any Minnesota adult. Active cases, however, continue to edge higher.

March 29 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccination pace quickens; active cases up

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