Cooler but still well above normal this week

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Minneapolis is ending its mask mandate. The city announced the change Tuesday afternoon, lifting a requirement that’s been in place since May 2020.

Nearly 79 percent of Minneapolis residents ages 15 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to city officials. This follows the end of Minnesota’s mask mandate on May 14. St. Paul is now the state’s last large city with a mask requirement. 

Today,  @MayorFrey  lifted the City’s local mask requirement, which has been in place since May 2020. Currently, 78.6% of Minneapolis residents (15+ population) have received at least one vaccine shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The positive trends in Minnesota’s COVID-19 data continue as the state rolls into June. The Health Department on Tuesday reported only 134 new cases.

The seven-day average of new cases is running at its lowest point in a year, at 332 cases a day. Four weeks ago, it was running more than 1,500 a day. Active cases are at their lowest level since after last Fourth of July. Hospitalizations continue to fall. 

The only problematic sign right now — the vaccination pace continues to slide.

Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota

How to get a COVID-19 shot in Minnesota

COVID-19 in Minnesota

Active cases, hospitalizations retreating

The count of known, active COVID-19 cases came in at 3,276, staying below 4,000 for the second straight day, the first time that’s happened since early July.

There were 249 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota; 79 needed intensive care. Both figures continue to trend down from their April peaks. Six weeks ago, hospitalization were approaching 700 people, with more than 200 in ICUs.

New hospital admissions are also trending at their lowest point in more than two months. 

One newly reported death on Tuesday put Minnesota’s pandemic toll at 7,427. 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 601,517 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including the 134 posted Tuesday.

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. 

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 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.

About teenagers and the COVID-19 vaccine in MN

Unvaccinated kids and updated mask guidance

After a roller coaster few months, the current pace of vaccinations is rapidly waning. It’s less than half what it was at the start of May.

More than 2.8 million residents 16 and older now have at least one vaccine dose. Nearly 2.6 million have completed their vaccinations as of Tuesday’s update. 

That works out to about 58.9 percent of the 16-and-older population completely vaccinated and 64.6 percent with at least one shot, including 90 percent of those 65 and older. 

Minnesota’s seen notable growth in the number of children ages 12 to 15 getting vaccinated since mid-May, when 

federal authorities approved the Pfizer vaccine for use at those ages

Health Department data shows more than 77,000 12-to-15-year-olds with at least one dose. That’s about 27 percent of that population already with at least one shot. The pace, though, is slowing after the early surge.

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 

With the disease data solid, state officials are pushing now to boost vaccination counts. Gov. Tim Walz last week 

, including state park passes and Minnesota State Fair tickets, to nudge unvaccinated Minnesotans to get their shots. 

Officials are pressing now to get at least 70 percent of the state’s 16-and-older population vaccinated with at least one dose by July 1. 

Minnesota rolls out free beer to cheer the vaccinated

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

Health

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COVID-19

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The positive trends in Minnesota’s COVID-19 data continue as the state rolls into June. The Health Department on Tuesday reported only 134 new cases, the lowest daily count in more than a year.

People wearing masks walk into a large room.

Evan Frost | MPR News

Active, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota

David H. Montgomery | MPR News

Graph of new ICU and non-ICU COVID-19 hospitalizations

New COVID-19 related deaths reported in Minnesota each day

Newly reported COVID-19 vaccine doses in Minnesota

Graph showing when Minnesota is on target to vaccinated 70% of adults

Graph projecting when most Minnesotans will get vaccinated

June 1 COVID-19 update in MN: Minneapolis drops mask mandate

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