COVID In Minnesota: 22 More Deaths, Though New Cases Appear To Be Trending Down
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine booster shots being given the green light by the CDC, Minnesota health officials on Friday reported an additional 2,150 virus cases and 22 more deaths due to COVID-19, including one teenager in Hennepin County.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health's daily update, the state's total positive cases have risen to 770,246 since the pandemic began, with 8,537 deaths attributed to the virus.
Minnesota's latest rolling seven-day average positivity rate appears to be on the waning side of a crest, now at 7.9% from 8.5% last week. The line for high risk is drawn at 10%. There are also a reported 45.8 daily new cases per 100,000 Minnesota residents, which although it puts the state well above the line considered high risk, also represents a downward trend after peaking above 50.
As of Friday morning, figures from the Minnesota Department of Health showed that about 74.4% of Minnesotans 16 or older had received at least one vaccine dose, and 94.6% of those 65 or older had received at least one dose. In total, the state has administered 6,770,883 doses of vaccine, with about 3.28 million residents having completed their vaccine series.
There have been more than 277,000 vaccine booster shots given to eligible Minnesotans.
Total ICU bed usage among COVID-19 patients is at 223. Additionally, there are currently 692 COVID-19 patients being hospitalized in non-ICU beds. Many hospitals in the state are reporting being stretched close to capacity as these figures continue to remain high. The rate of deaths being reported is roughly double what it was a month ago. The rate of new COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 residents is at 14.7.
Two doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine adjusted in potency for children 5 to 11 years old proved 90.7% effective against symptomatic disease, the company said in documents filed with the government, as U.S. authorities near key decisions on whether to expand use of the shots to younger age groups.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended booster shots for many recipients of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday. As a result, up to 99 million Americans are now eligible for additional doses.
Providers expect to administer the first booster shots for the newly eligible Americans as early as tomorrow.