COVID In Minnesota: 7,133 New Cases Reported, Average Positivity Rate At 7.2%
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Minnesota health officials on Tuesday reported 7,133 additional cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths, as Johnson & Johnson seeks approval from the FDA to authorize its booster shots.
The additional figures bring the state's total case count to 725,451 and 8,203 deaths. The seven-day average positivity rate has climbed up to 7.2%, well into the "caution" category but still below the "high risk" threshold of 10%.
The COVID-19 case growth and hospitalization rates are also climbing; the state is seeing 48.5 new cases per 100,000 residents, and 13.2 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, which are both figures state officials classify as "high risk."
As of Monday afternoon, there were 847 people in Minnesota hospitals with COVID-19, of which 220 were in the ICU. In recent weeks, the state is seeing hospitalization figures not seen since last winter. The metro area has 11 staffed ICU beds available, and southwestern Minnesota has eight staffed ICU beds. Other regions in Minnesota have at least 5% of their staffed ICU beds ready for use.
Meanwhile, the state has administered over 6.4 million vaccine doses since December, and roughly 58.2% of the population is fully vaccinated. Over 90,000 booster doses have been administered to the eligible population, according to the vaccine data dashboard.
The FDA authorized the Pfizer booster last month in an effort to protect the public from the spreading Delta variant, but at this point, health officials advise against mixing vaccine types. Johnson & Johnson, the company which makes the single-dose vaccine, filed a request with the FDA to authorize its boosters, though the FDA has already scheduled a panel for next week to review booster data from both J&J and Moderna.
Those who would like to receive the Pfizer booster and are eligible can find nearby clinics here.
