MinnPost provides updates on coronavirus in Minnesota Sunday through Friday. The information is published following a press phone call with members of the Walz administration or after the release of daily COVID-19 figures by the Minnesota Department of Health.
Here are the latest updates from Feb. 10:
Eleven more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Wednesday, for a total of 6,319.
Of the people whose deaths were announced Wednesday, one was between ages 5 and 9, two were in their 70s, five were in their 80s and three were in their 90s. Seven of the 11 people whose deaths were announced Wednesday were residents of long-term care facilities.
MDH also said Wednesday there have been 469,905 total cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. The number of positives is up 651 from Tuesday’s count and is based on 20,217 new tests. The most recent seven-day positivity average, which lags by a week, is 4.0, the lowest it’s been since June. You can find the seven-day positive case average here.
While some are sounding the alarm about the potential for more transmissible COVID-19 variants to drag the pandemic on, Gov. Tim Walz was bullish on Minnesota’s outlook at a League of Minnesota Cities event Wednesday morning.
“I don’t like to get too far over my skis, but I think it is time to know — we’re winning this battle. This thing’s coming to an end. We’re now down to 4 percent positivity rates,” he said.
As of Monday, the most recent day of data available, 583,602 Minnesotans, or 10.5 percent of the state’s population, had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine; 168,495 had received two doses.
MDH officials told a Minnesota Senate committee hearing that about 30 percent of Minnesotans age 65 and older who had pre-registered for the vaccine lottery system have been vaccinated, whether at community vaccine sites or through health care providers, according to the state’s vaccine database.
The most recent data available show 78 Minnesotans are hospitalized in intensive care with COVID-19, and 239 are in the hospital with COVID-19 not in intensive care. You can find more information about Minnesota’s current ICU usage and capacity here.
More information on cases can be found here.
Today on MinnPost
- Asking yourself how long it’s been since this all started? Us too.
- As always, a look at the numbers on the MinnPost COVID-19 dashboard.
Around the web
- Masks should fit better or be doubled up to protect against coronavirus variants, CDC says, Washington Post.
- Chicago schools have had a contentious debate over reopening schools. They’ve struck a deal to get students back in physical classrooms. New York Times. (Also worth noting on this topic, the CDC is expected to release federal guidelines for opening schools this week.)
MDH’s coronavirus website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
MDH’s phone line for COVID-19 questions, Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m: 651-297-1304
