COVID In Minnesota: 140 Cases, 5 New Deaths Reported Friday
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The Minnesota Department of Health on Friday reported 140 additional COVID-19 cases and five deaths.
Cumulatively, the state has tallied 606,297 cases and 7,622 total deaths since last March.
At the same time, over 5.76 million vaccines have been administered in Minnesota, with 67.4% of residents 16 and older receiving their first shot. The vaccine data dashboard shows that 64.3% of Minnesotans in that age group have completed the vaccine series.
On Thursday, Pfizer announced that it plans to file for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 booster shot, as the Delta variant - a highly transmittable virus mutation - continues to spread throughout the U.S.
The company believes its booster shot will be highly effective against COVID-19 variants, and it is also creating a booster specifically to target the Delta variant.
In Minnesota, the average positivity rate for the virus has dipped dramatically since vaccines became widely available, currently reaching 1.2%. However, community spread remains high, with nearly half of those who contract the virus not knowing where they were exposed to it.
MDH says that of the people who have contracted the virus, 59,728 no longer need to self-isolate.