May 25 update on COVID-19 in MN: New, active case counts fall; hospitalizations ebb
3 things to know
Active cases lowest since September; hospital admissions near two-month low; ICU cases drop below 100 for the first time since late March
63.6 percent of Minnesotans 16 and older with at least one vaccine dose; 57 percent — more than 2.5 million people — now completely vaccinated
Minnesota’s vaccination pace stabilizing
Updated: 12:02 p.m.
Tuesday’s COVID-19 data offers more evidence the pandemic is in retreat. That includes just 256 newly reported cases, the lowest daily count since August. The number of known, active cases fell to its lowest point since September.
Another positive sign: The seven-day vaccination trend appears to be stabilizing at around 40,000 shots a day after weeks of free-fall.
The hopeful trends come as the state prepares to end all remaining statewide COVID-19 curbs on Friday in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
Active cases, hospitalizations receding
After an anxious April, it appears Minnesota’s spring surge is over.
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The count of known, active COVID-19 cases is down to 5,128— its lowest point since mid-September and down nearly 75 percent from its most recent high of around 20,000 in mid-April.
There were 368 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota; 96 needed intensive care. Both figures continue to trend down from their April peaks. The count of intensive care patients is down below 100 for the first time since late March.
New hospital admissions have dropped significantly and are trending at around two-month lows.
Eleven newly reported deaths put Minnesota’s pandemic toll at 7,381. 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 599,477 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including the 256 posted Tuesday — the 11th consecutive day of fewer than 1,000 new cases and the first time since early September the state saw three consecutive days below 500.
About 98 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 is clearly on the slide.
People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — about 111,000 since the pandemic began. The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 49,000 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 can 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.
Vaccination pace stabilizing
About 2.8 million residents 16 and older now have at least one vaccine dose; about 2.5 million have completed their vaccinations as of Tuesday’s update.
That works out to about 57 percent of the 16-and-older population completely vaccinated and 63.6 percent with at least one shot, including 89 percent of those 65 and older.
Minnesota’s also seeing notable growth in the number of children ages 12 to 15 getting vaccinated in the two weeks since federal authorities approved the Pfizer vaccine for use at those ages.
Health Department data shows more than 60,000 Minnesota 12-to-15-year-olds with at least one dose. Tuesday was the first time that data was precisely reported. That’s roughly 20 percent of that population already with at least one shot.
State public health leaders have been pleading with those still not vaccinated to get their shots. Eligible Minnesotans can now walk in for a COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment at the state’s community vaccination program locations.
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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.