COVID In Minnesota: 538 Cases, 9 Deaths Reported Friday
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Minnesota health officials on Friday reported 538 new cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths.
In all, over 1.4 million COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the state along with 12,321 deaths. Of the deaths reported Friday, six took place in March of 2022. All victims were over the age of 55.
Key figures show a steep decline in COVID-19 cases over the past two months; after reaching a peak positivity rate of 23.5% in early January, the figure stands at 3% as of last week. It's below the line of caution for the first time since early August.
Daily new cases per 100,000 residents dipped below the high risk threshold of 8 last week, and the hospitalization rate is also on the decline. As of Thursday afternoon, there were 40 COVID-19 patients in intensive care and 244 others in non-ICU beds statewide.
On Thursday, Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a fourth shot of their COVID-19 vaccine for all adults. Pfizer asked the FDA to authorize another booster for seniors earlier this week. Both pharmaceutical companies say data from Israel following the emergence of the Omicron variant suggests another dose would provide additional protection.
In Minnesota, 74.6% of eligible Minnesotans are vaccinated, while 48.8% are up to date with their vaccine doses.