June 16 update on COVID-19 in MN: New cases plummet; 3 million with at least 1 shot

A woman inserts a needle in a vial.
Karen Kellerhuis prepares a COVID-19 vaccination in December 2020 at the White Earth Health Center in the village of White Earth.
Monika Lawrence | MPR News 2020

3 things to know

  • New and active case counts lowest since April 2020

  • 66 percent of 16-and-older population with at least one vaccine shot; 61.6 percent completely vaccinated

  • More than 3 million Minnesotans 12 and older have now received at least one vaccine dose


Updated: 11:40 a.m.

Minnesota public health leaders had worried the end of the statewide masking mandate last month might deliver an uptick in COVID-19 cases. But the newest data shows just the opposite happening: New cases have slowed to a relative trickle.

The state Health Department on Wednesday reported only 91 new cases — the second consecutive reporting day with fewer than 100 new cases and the lowest two-day count since the pandemic’s earliest weeks. Active cases and hospitalizations remain relatively low.

The vaccination pace remains a concern. After targeting July 1 as the date to get at least one dose into 70 percent of the 16-and-older population, it looks now like that won’t happen until early August. Minnesota is also showing some big regional divides in vaccination rates.

On the plus, side, more than 3 million Minnesotans 12 and older have now received at least one vaccine dose. Just under half the state’s total population is now completely vaccinated.

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Graph showing total COVID-19 vaccinations by age

New, active cases stay at April 2020 lows

The basic numbers continue to paint a picture of a pandemic in retreat.

Wednesday’s report showed known, active cases of the disease at 1,151. The state averaged 143 new cases a day over the past seven reporting days. Both figures continue to hover around lows from April 2020.

Active, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota

How quickly have conditions improved? On May 1, Minnesota was averaging more than 1,500 new cases daily and had more than 15,000 known, active cases.

COVID-19 hospitalizations also continue to slide from their spring peaks. The Health Department reported 151 people hospitalized in Minnesota, with 56 in intensive care.

Daily intensive care admissions are near their lowest point since data collection began in the weeks last year after the first COVID-19 case was discovered.

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

Five newly reported deaths on Wednesday pushed Minnesota’s pandemic toll to 7,523. Among those who have died, about 59 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted-living facilities; most had underlying health problems.

New COVID-19 related deaths reported in Minnesota each day

The state has recorded 604,052 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including the 91 posted Wednesday.

New COVID-19 cases per day in Minnesota

About 99 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.

Case counts had crept up across the state during April following a massive spike in late November and early December. Now, though, the numbers are low and falling in every age group and region.

New COVID-19 cases by Minnesota region

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.

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.

Vaccination pace stumbles along

More than 2.9 million residents 16 and older now have at least one vaccine dose. More than 2.7 million are completely vaccinated.

A line chart.

That works out to about 61.6 percent completely vaccinated and 66 percent with at least one shot, including 90 percent of people 65 and older.

The vaccination pace, however, is tripping along now after tumbling from its April peak. If the pace continues to crawl, it will be early August before the state reaches 70 percent of adults with at least one shot.

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

Officials recently noted that more than 70 percent of the 16-and-older population in the Twin Cities metropolitan area had received at least one vaccine dose, but that the rate was below 60 percent in much of the rest of the state, creating a concerning urban-rural vaccination gap.

Map of Minnesota COVID-19 eligible vaccination rate

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 96,000 12-to-15-year-olds with at least one dose, about 32 percent of that population. The pace, though, has fallen off following an early surge.


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.