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Minnesota’s new COVID-19 cases continue to grow, but growth is slower than in recent weeks, blunted by the pace of vaccinations. Nevertheless, demand on the state’s hospital capacity continues to climb, while deaths have plateaued. 

Everything you need to know

Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota

From around Minnesota

COVID-19 in Minnesota

Minnesota on track to vaccinate 80 percent of adults by late May

Despite a temporary disruption in vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Minnesota is on track to vaccinate 80 percent of adults by May 22, according to an MPR News analysis. 

And for the first time, younger adults between 18 and 49 have been getting vaccinated slightly faster than people who are between 50 and 64, a signal that Minnesotans across age groups are eager to get their shots.

Still, Minnesota’s vaccination rate is about to go down. 

Last week the state had record-high allocations of around 30,000 first doses a day. This week, the state will be allocated about 20,000 doses per day, a trend driven by the pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution. 

The pause was prompted by a joint Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration recommendation that providers pause their distribution of the J&J vaccine while the agencies investigate the exceedingly rare occurrence of blood clots. 

The clots have been found in six women — out of nearly 7 million vaccines given nationwide — between the ages of 18 and 48, and occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. Officials say they are not aware of any cases of blood clots occurring among the more than 184,000 state residents who have received the single dose vaccine.

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Minnesota's J&J COVID vaccine pause

Before this week’s J&J pause and an earlier factory mishap, officials had been hopeful that a flood of new J&J vaccines would combine with existing Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to drive Minnesota’s vaccination rate to a new level.

The newest numbers still suggest the state may reach a hopeful milestone — half of adults with at least one vaccine dose — by the end of this week or early next.

About 33 percent of Minnesota adults are completely vaccinated; 49 percent have received at least one vaccine dose, including about 85 percent of residents age 65 and older, the state Health Department said Thursday. 

Meanwhile, case counts continue to climb — but not as quickly as they did in previous weeks. 

Minnesota reported about 2,700 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, a jump over recent days. Overall the trend is still upward, but there are signs of a 

Minnesota makes all adults eligible for vaccine

Find a COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota

Minnesota’s overall pandemic death toll rose to 6,989 Thursday. Among those who have 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 549,830 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 2,736 posted Wednesday. About 95 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.

Hospitalizations have climbed significantly in the past weeks to levels not seen since January, and deaths tied to the disease are trending up, too. Health officials say coronavirus variants circulating in Minnesota are driving those increases.

The state on Wednesday reported 699 people in Minnesota hospitals with COVID-19; 168 needing intensive care, hovering near the highest number of ICU patients since early January.

By admission date, new non-ICU admissions are up about 35 percent over the past two weeks. ICU admissions are up 20 percent.

While the numbers are still low, when compared to late November and early December, the rising trend is notable, given the worries over the rise of the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant — first identified in the United Kingdom — which state health officials have said they suspect is driving the current upswing.

State health commissioner Jan Malcolm said recently that while the increase in cases is concerning, the growing number of vaccinated people in Minnesota means the state likely won’t see as steep a surge in cases of the scope seen in November and December.

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The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has grown, with more than 43,000 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 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

Latest developments from around Minnesota

CentraCare responds to J&J vaccine questions

CentraCare, a central Minnesota health care provider, has administered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at several mobile vaccination sites, including a St. Cloud mosque on Monday.

On Tuesday came the FDA and CDC’s joint recommendation to pause J&J vaccine administration.

Mahado Ali, CentraCare's supervisor of cultural competency and health equity, said the news has raised some concern among those who received the vaccine. 

 "However, we've been very connected to the imams and the community health workers in making sure that the right information is out there for patients and that they're getting all of their questions answered,” Ali said.

CentraCare says it's received no reports of anyone developing symptoms of the rare blood clotting condition that was found in six people who’d received the vaccine, out of nearly 7 million nationwide. 

On a local Somali TV station, Dr. Kim Tjaden, CentraCare's medical director of community health, described the potential symptoms, including severe headache, shortness of breath, leg pain or severe abdominal pain.

"If you have receive this vaccine and you develop those symptoms, we want you to call the Department of Health," said Tjaden, who said CentraCare continues to believe that COVID-19 vaccines are very safe, and that the pause is likely to be temporary.

Gov. Tim Walz has extended a peacetime emergency order tied to COVID-19 another 30 days.

The move was ratified Wednesday by a panel of statewide officeholders.

The emergency has been in effect since March 2020. It allows Walz to make decisions outside of normal procedures.

The governor said he’s open to tailoring the executive authority going forward. But he said ending it outright could hamper efforts to quickly distribute vaccines and conduct widescale testing. 

He also said some federal money is tied to the emergency declaration.

 “The frustration lies between mitigation efforts around the health emergency and our ability to use it,” Walz said. “Because when we start being specific and saying, ‘Would you like us to end the vaccine sites? No, no don’t end the vaccine sites. Would you like us to end supplemental nutrition programs? No, no don’t end supplemental nutrition programs.’ It ends up being, just get rid of the mask mandate.” 

Republicans in the Legislature want Walz to relinquish the authority and involve lawmakers in more decisions.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said there are still concerning trends with virus spread — including the state’s test positivity rate, which she said is back above 7 percent.

That rate, she said, is higher than it’s been in recent months and comparable to levels seen last fall.

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 to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota

Tracking the vaccination progress in the U.S.

Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

Minnesota News

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Minnesota’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to grow. But growth is slower than than last week, blunted by state’s steady pace of vaccinations. State health officials are briefing reporters now.

Nurse loads a syringe with the Johnson & Johnson vaccination

Paul Middlestaedt for MPR News

Graph projecting when most Minnesotans will get vaccinated

David H. Montgomery | MPR News

New COVID-19 related deaths reported in Minnesota each day

Active, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota

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

April 15 update on COVID-19 in MN: New cases, vaccinations continue steady climb

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