COVID In Minnesota: U Of M Unveils Wastewater Dashboard, Positivity Rate Drops To 14.3%
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The state's average positivity rate continues its steady decline, dropping to 14.3% as of last week after reaching a peak of nearly 24% last month.
Daily new cases per 100,000 residents is also down to 79.3 from a peak of almost 245 just a few weeks ago.
On Wednesday, health officials reported 3,833 new cases of COVID-19 and 40 deaths. Of the deaths reported, 27 took place in February 2022, and the other 13 took place in either January or in 2021.
In all, the state has seen 1,379,102 COVID-19 cases, including 54,760 reinfections. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 11,722 people have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic.
Data showing that cases are dropping statewide is echoed by a newly unveiled wastewater dashboard from the University of Minnesota.
The dashboard illustrates different regions of Minnesota and compares the viral detection in wastewater to cases and hospitalizations. It shows the viral load in the wastewater peaked in the metro and south-central Minnesota around Jan. 11, one week before it peaked in other regions in the state.
Wastewater data typically reflects hospitalization and cases figures two weeks before they show up at hospitals and clinics, the university says.
The university also says that according to data from Tuesday, the prevalence of COVID-19 is predicted to "decline significantly" across the state.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 179 Minnesotans in intensive care hospital beds, and 982 in non-ICU beds. Metro-area ICU bed availability for adults remains tight, at 3.4%.
Health officials say that over 9.2 million vaccine doses have been administered in the state so far. More than 2 million of those doses are booster shots.