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Minnesota’s most recent COVID-19 data shows the state remains in a pattern of hopeful increases in inoculations and worrisome growth in new cases and hospitalizations.

While officials have cautioned not to read too much into the past couple of days of data, they remain increasingly concerned that the disease is on the march down the wrong path.

“We’re definitely not out of the woods yet,” Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm told reporters Tuesday, noting that the seven-day positive test rate for the disease is back up at 6 percent. A 5 percent rate is a warning sign of growing spread.

Thanks to vaccinations, Minnesota likely won’t see as severe a spike in cases as it saw in November and December — but the pandemic isn’t over, Malcolm said.

The state’s case rate per 100,000 people has been rising uninterrupted, she noted. “We all need to pull together to reverse that trend.”

Tracking cases in Minnesota

From across Minnesota

From MPR News

Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota

Cases rising; hospitalizations getting younger

The newest COVID-19 metrics reinforce Malcolm’s cautionary view.

The number of known, active cases has been trending upward over the past few weeks, with 15,679 active cases as of Tuesday’s report — marking nearly three weeks with active counts above 10,000, a stretch not seen since January.

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

They’d confirmed about 1,000 cases in the state of the U.K. strain as of last week and believe it’s responsible for the majority of the spread that happening now.

Minnesota makes all adults eligible for vaccine

Find a COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota

Hospitalization counts are also moving higher. Agency data showed 497 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals; 114 needed intensive care. Daily admissions to hospitals because of COVID-19 are trending at their highest levels since January.

Malcolm told reporters that COVID-19 bed use is up by 40 percent in the past 10 days and that a growing percentage of new cases are ending up in the hospital.

The age of those needing hospitalization has been skewing younger.

The average age of people hospitalized during the pandemic is 65, but it was 57 years old from March 23 to 29, Dr. Ruth Lynfield, the state’s epidemiologist, said Tuesday. The median age for deaths is 83 years old through the pandemic, but in March it was 78, she noted.

Four deaths reported on Tuesday raised Minnesota’s overall pandemic death toll to 6,889. Among those who’ve died, about 62 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems. 

Families, operators remember COVID's torment, focus on what's next

The state has recorded 530,662 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 3,014 posted Tuesday. 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.

Nearly 3 in 10 Minnesota fully vaccinated

Officials have described the current situation as race against time to vaccinate as many Minnesotans as possible before the COVID-19 variants can get a stronger foothold in the state. 

Tuesday’s data showed nearly 1.2 million 

 while more than 1.8 million have received at least one dose, including about 83 percent of residents age 65 and older.

The agency reported about 52,000 more vaccinations. Minnesota expects to see its federal vaccine supply shipments jump over the next few weeks.

To help win that race, state and federal officials on Monday unveiled plans to 

vaccinate as many as 100,000 Minnesotans over the next eight weeks

 at a site to be built at the state fairgrounds. The site will prioritize underserved communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

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

Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in better shape than they were in late November and early December. The latest numbers, however, show cases creeping up in almost every region of the state.

Public health leaders continue to keep watch on clusters in the southwest Twin Cities metro area as well as Mankato in southern Minnesota and around Aurora and Ely in the northeast. Central Minnesota is also seeing a rise in positive COVID-19 cases.

Here’s what to do

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 98,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 51,000 among those ages 20 to 24.

The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 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 they 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.

Officials have acknowledged that distrust by communities of color has been a problem during the pandemic. They’ve offered up some data on 

vaccinations broken down by race and ethnicity

Listen to the health department call here.

Correction (April 6, 2021): A previous version of this story misstated the percent of Minnesota's population that has received both their first vaccination and completed their vaccinations. The above story has been updated.

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 

Severe weather closes a state vaccination site at Vikings facility Wednesday

Stormy weather damaged the Vikings practice facility, leading to the postponement of vaccinations at the site Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the state's COVID-19 community vaccination and testing program says the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn., requires repairs.

The practice facility is a temporary state-run COVID-19 vaccination site.

The spokesperson says the Minnesota Department of Health is working to identify an alternative place for vaccinations and will contact those with appointments.

Black nurse volunteers give COVID shots to Minnesota's most vulnerable: 

Inequities persist between how easily and quickly Minnesotans of color are getting vaccinated for COVID-19, as compared to their white neighbors. Helping to bridge that gap is a volunteer network of Black nurses, who say giving shots in familiar locations is key to getting more people of color vaccinated more quickly.

Minnesota to host FEMA vaccination site at state fairgrounds:

 The site will receive 168,000 doses of vaccine from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson over eight weeks. The governor said the site, which will begin administering shots on April 14, will prioritize underserved communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

As nursing homes open up, families, operators remember COVID's torment, focus on what's next: 

More than a year into the pandemic, families, administrators, staff and residents are cautiously moving into a post-vaccine life. They do so while holding onto the memories of one of the most devastating years in the history of long-term care. For all, it has been a year of pain and change.

As schools reopen in Minnesota, COVID-19 cases climb: 

State officials say that more than 750 Minnesota schools have confirmed COVID-19 cases, and many are likely from a more contagious, more severe version of the virus that originated in the United Kingdom.

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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Thanks to vaccinations, Minnesota likely won’t see as severe a spike in cases as it saw in November and December — but the pandemic isn’t over, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Tuesday.

Minnesota’s most recent COVID-19 data shows the state’s vaccination rate continuing apace while caseloads and hospitalizations rise. Officials, though, cautioned not to read too much into the most recent data given delays in reporting over the Easter weekend.

April 6 update on COVID-19 in MN: Hospitalizations trending younger

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