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 March 26, 2021:
512,097 cases; 6,821 deaths
Seven more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Friday, for a total of 6,821.
Of the people whose deaths were announced Friday, one was in their 80s, two were in their 70s, two were in their 60s and two were in their 50s. None of the 7 people whose deaths announced Friday were residents of long-term care facilities.
MDH also said Friday there have been 512,097 total cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. That number is up 1,699 from the total announced on Thursday and is based on 43,866 new tests. The most recent seven-day positivity average is 4.7 percent, increasing in recent days but still below the 5 percent “caution” threshold. You can find the seven-day positive case average here.
As of Wednesday, the most recent day of data available, 1,510,237 people in Minnesota, or 27.1 percent of the population, had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. That’s up 35,107 from the day prior.
The most recent data available show 87 Minnesotans are hospitalized in intensive care with COVID-19, and 270 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.
Minnesotans 16+ eligible for vaccine on Tuesday
Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday night that all Minnesotans age 16 and older will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday, March 30.
Walz said priority should still go to people who are older and have underlying health conditions, but said Minnesotans who don’t fit those groups can start making appointments, too.
“Families, you can go together and get everybody vaccinated. I would make an appeal to where we’re seeing some of the highest spread happening, in our younger people, take your roommates and go,” Walz said in an address Friday, challenging Minnesotans to make the state the first in the nation to have 80 percent of its population vaccinated.
A full story on the announcement can be found here, and will be updated after Walz’s 12:30 Friday press conference.
You can find information about locations that have the vaccine in Minnesota here.
Today on MinnPost
- All Minnesotans 16 and older to be eligible for COVID vaccine starting Tuesday
- 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
MDH’s coronavirus website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
MDH’s phone line for COVID-19 questions: 651-297-1304
