Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccination rate remains relatively low

3 things to know:

• The vaccination rate remains stable; no sign of weather delays

• More than half of the new vaccinations are a second dose

• Overall pandemic statistics look encouraging

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The rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Minnesota remained relatively flat in Sunday’s update from state health officials, and there is no sign of a decline yet due to weather-delayed vaccine shipments.

On average over the past week, the number of vaccine doses administered each day ticked up slightly, to nearly 30,000.

But more than half of the new vaccinations reported Sunday were second doses, allowing people to complete their vaccinations. The number of people receiving their first dose of vaccine has fallen in recent days.

There has been a delay in reporting vaccination information – Sunday’s update from state health officials returns data as of Friday – so it is possible that the effects of last week’s harsh winter weather on vaccine shipments could become visible in the coming days. Some weekend vaccination appointments in Minnesota were postponed because of those delays.

About 13.6 percent of Minnesota people had received at least one dose as of the last update, with about 6.1 percent fully vaccinated. More than 41 percent of minnesotans ages 65 and older have received at least one injection.

The total number of vaccine doses administered is now 1,059,617.

Here are Minnesota current COVID-19 statistics

• 6,432 dead (9 new)

• 479,036 positive cases (891 new), 465,382 outside isolation (97 percent)

• 7.2 million tests, 3.4 million Minnesota tested (about 59 percent of the population)

• 13.6 percent of the Minnesotans have been vaccinated with at least one dose

State public health leaders have highlighted in recent weeks that the relatively low flow of federal government vaccine supplies is the biggest problem slowing the pace of vaccinations.

While recent vaccination rates are on the rise, Minnesota at its current rate wouldn’t be able to vaccinate about 80 percent of adults until sometime in September. To get it done by the summer, the state would have to fire 40,000 to 50,000 shots a day, or more.

Minnesota currently ranks 20th among the states in doses administered per 100,000 people, according to data collected by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccination questions aside, Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers show the condition on a steady, positive path, with key pandemic statistics continuing to improve. Known active cases have remained stable at just over 7,200, but the overall trend is solid and hovering around late September levels.

The trend of seven-day hospital admissions for people with COVID-19 has also declined to September levels.

Nine deaths reported on Sunday increased the Minnesota toll to 6,432. Of those who died, approximately 63 percent lived in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems.

The seven-day moving average for deaths is eight deaths per day, almost the lowest since September.

The state has registered 479,036 confirmed or probable cases of the pandemic so far, including 891 reported Sunday. About 97 percent of the minnesotans known to have been infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic have recovered to the point where they no longer need to be isolated.

State health officials continue to monitor new strains of virus circulating in the United States that may be more contagious.

Cases spread across age groups, regions

People in their 20s are still the age group with the highest number of confirmed cases in the state – more than 90,000 since the start of the pandemic, including more than 47,000 among people 20 to 24 years old.

The number of young people in high school confirmed with the disease has also risen, with more than 37,000 cases aged 15 to 19 years since the start of the pandemic.

While less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up in hospital, experts are concerned that youth and young adults will unwittingly spread it to older family members and members of other vulnerable populations.

People can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 if they don’t have symptoms.

Regionally, most parts of Minnesota have fallen significantly from the late November, early December peaks and a January outage.

The number of cases in northwestern Minnesota has increased recently, although it is still unclear why.

Caseloads are still heaviest among people of color

In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 has disproportionately hit communities of color in both cases and deaths. This was especially the case for minnesotans of Spanish descent during much of the pandemic.

Even as the number of new cases continues to drop from their late November to early December peaks, the data shows that Latino people are still being hit hard.

Distrust of the government, along with deep-seated health and economic inequalities, have hampered efforts to encourage testing among colored communities, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their personal information could be used to deport them .

Last week, Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm recognized the need to ensure vaccination options are distributed fairly.

Malcolm said the state will soon release data on vaccinations, race and ethnicity. Officials say they are trying to improve data quality. Under state law, it is shared voluntarily and thus can be inconsistent.

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COVID-19 in Minnesota

The data in these charts is based on Minnesota Department of Health cumulative totals released daily at 11 a.m. You can find more detailed statistics about COVID-19 at it Health Department website

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Developments from around the state

Minneapolis has restrictions on the bar

The city of Minneapolis lifted the ban on bar chairs just in time for the weekend.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the decision was based on public health data, showing a decrease in COVID-19 cases in the city.

Bars in the city still need to be reserved, socialized and no more than two patrons can sit side by side at a bar.

Establishments should also lower the music volume to avoid customers talking loudly and sitting too close to each other.

Citing the progress of the vaccine in the state, Governor Tim Walz relaxed a number of pandemic-related regulations last week that would allow bars to stay open an hour longer, until 11 p.m.

– Nina Moini | MPR News

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Top heads

COVID is driving up homeschooling as public school enrollment drops: The COVID-19 crisis is causing dramatic changes in enrollment rates in Minnesota public schools, including a drop of about 17,000 students in the past year, with families delaying kindergarten and choosing options outside of the public system, says the Department of Education .

Collaboration between White Earth Nation, Mahnomen Co. leads to one of the highest vaccination rates in MN: Since Minnesota began distributing coronavirus vaccines late last year, Mahnomen County in northwestern Minnesota has been consistently in the lead.

Michael Osterholm on how new COVID variants could change the trajectory of the pandemic: As vaccinations continue, new variants of the virus are spreading. Scientists are concerned that the vaccine could be less effective against these mutations and that infection rates could rise again if one of these variants becomes the dominant strain.

New Vaccination Tool Will Tell Minnesota Minnesota When They Can Get COVID-19 Shots: The tool will alert minnesotans of their eligibility, connect them to resources to schedule an appointment, and provide information about nearby vaccination options. Minnesota will still have to make their own appointment to receive an injection through a vaccine provider.