Minnesota National Guard
Monday’s COVID update from the Minnesota Department of Health includes four new deaths and fewer than 1,000 new cases.
The newly reported deaths bring the state’s total over the course of the pandemic to 5,711, of which 64% (3,655) were long-term care residents, including two of the four reported Monday.
Minnesota confirmed the first five cases of the UK-based mutant variant of COVID-19 Saturday evening, with residents of four Twin Cities counties testing positive for B.1.1.7. variant after falling ill between December 16-31.
Meanwhile, the state reported on Monday that 147,645 people have been vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The state has received 396,350 doses.
Hospital admissions
Through January 10, the number of people with COVID-19 in the Minnesota hospital was 686, a decrease from 787 reported on January 6. This is the lowest number of COVID admissions since October 28 (680).
Of those hospitalized, 141 (compared to 130 reported Friday) were in intensive care and 545 (versus 629) received non-ICU treatment.
Statewide, 180 staffed ICU beds were available. During the November surge, the state had fewer than 100 staffed IC beds available. The number of available beds depends on the number of available staff, so the totals are constantly changing.
Test and positivity rates
The 980 positive results in Monday’s update were from a total of 15,980 completed tests, creating a daily test positivity of 6.13%.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the positivity rate in Minnesota is 8.25% in the past seven days, which is a trend after dropping below 5% just over a week ago.
The World Health Organization recommends that a positive rate (total positive divided by total tests completed) of less than 5% for at least two weeks is required to safely reopen the economy. That 5% threshold is based on the total number of positives divided by the total number of tests.
Coronavirus in Minnesota in numbers
- Total number of tests: 5,953,863 (from 5,935,902)
- People tested: 3,089,057 (from 3,082,747)
- Positive cases: 437,552 (from 436,572)
- Deaths: 5,711 – 202 of which “likely *” (higher than 5,707)
- Patients who no longer need isolation: 417,005 (from 414,756)
- Total number of people vaccinated: 147,645 (higher than 132,280)
* Probable deaths are patients who died after a positive test using the COVID-19 antigen test, which is believed to be less accurate than the more common PCR test.