COVID In Minnesota: Positivity Rate Falls Below 2%
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As the number of Minnesotans vaccinated against COVID-19 continues to slowly tick upwards, the virus' rate of spread in the state is the lowest it's been since the start of the pandemic over a year ago.
According to officials, the state's average positivity rate was just below 2% as of last week, continuing a steady decline in cases since the spike in early April. The rate of hospitalizations is also near record lows.
In the last 24 hours, 95 new cases were reported in Minnesota from 7,051 tests, suggesting a daily positivity rate of 1.3%.
Additionally, one more death was reported in the latest update. The state's cumulative case count stands at 603,966, while the death toll is at 7,051.
Minnesota is inching closer to getting 70% of residents 16 and older vaccinated. Currently, nearly 66% of Minnesotans in that demographic have received one vaccine shot while 61% have completed their vaccine series.
Officials are aiming to hit the 70% benchmark by early July.
On Monday, Gov. Tim Walz's peacetime emergency powers were extended for another 30 days. While he believes the powers are still required to continue vaccination and testing work, he said that the state of emergency was in its "final phases."