COVID In Minnesota: Avg. Positivity Rate Shows Signs Of Plateauing At Just Below 3%
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The state's latest COVID-19 rolling average positivity rate continues to remain below the line for caution, but shows signs of having bottomed out just below 3%.
The latest figures show a 2.8% rate in Minnesota. The line for high risk is drawn at 10%, and the line for caution at 5%. The rate of new daily cases per 100,000 residents stands at 6.9, which is below the line of high risk (though above the line for caution), and down significantly from the recent peak of nearly 230.
Hospitalization rates have been falling alongside the positivity rate over recent weeks. The figure is currently at 3.8 per 100,000 residents, down from nearly 30 in January, and below the line for caution.
Meanwhile, Minnesota officials on Tuesday reported 509 new cases and seven more deaths due to COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, 12,408 Minnesotans have died from the virus.
The latest figures from the Minnesota Department of Health place the total case count at 1,429,550, which includes 62,851 reinfections.
There have now been 61,553 hospitalizations for COVID-19, according to the latest figures, 11,390 of which were ICU hospitalizations.
Also, the number of people currently listed in ICU with COVID-19 is also hovering far below the figures reported in previous months, currently sitting at 27. Until late February, that figure hadn't been below 100 since last August. There are currently 158 COVID patients in non-ICU beds.
A total of 9,510,405 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, including about 2.19 million boosters. Of the state's 5 and older population, 74.7% have received at least one shot; that figure is at 96.5% among the state's 65+ population.
Minnesota is launching a new online program to provide free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. Beginning Tuesday, Minnesotans can order two test kits per home for a total of four tests via mn.gov/covid19.
