May 12 COVID-19 update: Active cases fall; nearly 2.2M completely vaccinated
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3 things to know
60.7 percent of Minnesotans 16 and older have received at least one dose; 49.9 percent — nearly 2.2 million people — are now completely vaccinated
Daily active case counts back down below 10K; hospitalizations down
Vaccination pace hovering at early March levels but with signs of a possible rebound
Updated 3:33 p.m.
Minnesota’s newest COVID-19 data shows active case counts continuing to retreat following a spring wave. While the vaccination pace remains stuck at a relative crawl, there are signs the recent free-fall has ended.
More than 60 percent of state residents 16 and older have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But with the pace only inching forward now, it’ll take longer to reach 70 percent — the threshold Gov. Tim Walz linked to ending the statewide mask mandate before July 1.
A few weeks ago, the state was on pace to hit the 70 percent vaccination mark in mid-May; now it's pushed back beyond mid-June, assuming the current rate holds.
The best news in Wednesday’s Health Department data: There’s no doubt that Minnesota this week will pass a milestone with 50 percent of its 16-and-older population fully vaccinated.
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Active cases, hospitalizations down
The count of known, active COVID-19 cases came in at 9,831— down below 10,000 for the first time in nearly two months and far below its most recent high of about 20,000 in mid-April.
Wednesday’s report showed 471 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota; 131 needed intensive care. Both figures continue to trend down from their recent peaks. New hospital admissions have dropped significantly.
Fifteen newly reported deaths put Minnesota’s pandemic toll at 7,255. Among those who have died, about 60 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted-living facilities; most had underlying health problems.
The state has recorded 590,436 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including the 919 posted Wednesday. 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 isolate.
Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in better shape than they were in late November and early December. Case counts had crept up across the state during April, but the trend appears to have peaked.
Officials continue to implore Minnesotans to keep their guard up during proms, graduations and other spring events, noting that more contagious COVID-19 variants are driving new cases across the state.
Youth counts concerning
While the overall trends are solid, officials are increasingly concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in younger people. They’ve been urging more testing of middle and high school students and weekly testing for athletes, coaches, referees and other youth sports participants.
People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 109,000 since the pandemic began.
The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 48,000 15-to-19-year-olds known to be infected during the pandemic.
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 COVID-19 virus can spread it when they don’t have symptoms.
Vaccinations inch forward
More than 2.6 million residents 16 and older now have at least one vaccine dose; nearly 2.2 million have completed their vaccinations as of Wednesday’s update.
That works out to nearly half the 16-and-older population completely vaccinated and more than 60 percent with at least one shot, including about 88 percent of those 65 and older.
While the vaccination pace has plummeted in recent weeks, the seven-day shot trend is up the past few days.
Officials acknowledge the state must do more to connect unvaccinated adults to shots.
The work to reach out to people who haven’t yet been vaccinated “will be a bit harder” than when Minnesotans were lining up for the shots, state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann said last week.
“We recognize successes are going to be hard to come by in this phase,” she said. “Anytime we move up by a percentage point [in people vaccinated], that’s a big deal.”
It’s not for lack of supply: Walz said last week that the federal government stands ready to ship more vaccine to Minnesota. Eligible Minnesotans can now walk in for a COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment at the state’s community vaccination program locations.
COVID-19 in Minnesota
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 Health Department website.