COVID In Minnesota: Daily New Case Average Highest It's Been Since December 2020
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Health officials on Thursday reported an additional 2,874 virus cases and 13 more deaths due to COVID-19, as the state's average number of daily new cases per capita has reached heights not seen since late December 2020.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health's daily update, the state's total positive cases have risen to 711,094 since the pandemic began, with 8,153 deaths attributed to the virus. Roughly 47,000 new tests were processed since the last report.
There are also a reported 41.6 daily new cases per 100,000 Minnesota residents, which puts the state well above the line considered high risk, and the highest that figure has been since the end of 2020. The state spent the early part of summer well below the line of caution, which is drawn at only five new cases daily per 100,000 residents.
Total ICU bed usage among COVID-19 patients is at 207. Additionally, there are currently 582 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 new COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 residents is at 13.1; the last time it sustained figures that high was at the end of April.
Meanwhile, the latest rolling seven-day average positivity rate is still hovering in place at 6.7%, as reported Thursday. The positivity rate, which went as far down as 1.1% in late June, remains in the "caution" status; the line for high risk is drawn at 10%.
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As of Thursday morning, figures from the Minnesota Department of Health showed that about 73.3% of Minnesotans 16 or older had received at least one dose, and 93.6% of those 65 or older had received at least one dose. In total, the state has administered 6,442,232 doses of vaccine, with about 3.23 million residents having completed their vaccine series.
There have been 72,221 vaccine booster shots given to eligible Minnesotans.
Nearly 200 health care workers are suing their employers and the federal government over imminent vaccine mandates that they claim violate their rights. Attorney Greg Erickson represents the 188 health care workers who are behind the lawsuit and fear being fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Erickson said he expects up to 1,000 more workers to join the suit.