COVID In MN: Average Positivity Rate Breaches 20%
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's latest average positivity rate has breached 20%, continuing to climb to record levels as the state moves to hire hundreds more health care workers to help hospitals.
According to the state health department, the seven-day rolling average positivity rate is 20.7% as of Jan. 5 due to data lag.
Several other major public health risk indicators are on the climb, too. Daily new cases per 100,000 residents is the highest it's ever been at 145.9.
As the Omicron variant surges across the country, testing is in high demand. The state's testing rate is at 635.1 residents testing per 10,000 residents, a number not seen since December of 2020.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that he's earmarked $40 million from the American Rescue Plan "to continue to expand COVID-19 testing resources in Minnesota."
The money will be used to purchase COVID-19 rapid tests and get them "in the hands of Minnesotans across the state as quickly as possible."
The hospitalization rate is 21.2 per 100,0000 residents as of Jan. 5, after it dipped to 16.3 in late December.
Additionally, a weekly update shows that the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1 recorded the highest amount of new cases seen during the pandemic, nearing 60,000 new cases, which surpasses the week of Nov. 8-Nov. 14 in 2020.
WEB EXTRA: Click here to see the New York Times map showing the nation's COVID-19 hot spots.
On Wednesday, the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul announced that people entering establishments serving food or beverages will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours to enter. The rule will also apply to anyone going to see the Timberwolves at Target Center or the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
The total case count now stands at 1,126,697, including 24,330 reinfections. The virus has contributed to the deaths of 10,939 Minnesotans. Roughly half of the deaths were among people who resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
On Thursday, the health department reported 52 additional deaths and 11,510 newly reported cases. Two of the additional deaths included a Ramsey and Becker county resident in their late-30s.
In hospitals, 53,219 cases of COVID-19 have required treatment, with 10,260 cases needing intensive care treatment.
Over 68% of the state's total population has received at least one vaccine dose; 93% of seniors are fully vaccinated. The state is approaching nine million vaccine doses administered, with over 1.8 million of those being booster shots.
