The state is certain to document Thursday, March 18, its 500,000th case of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus since the pandemic began, health officials said. And 2 million doses of the vaccine will likely have been administered by Thursday as well.
"The juxtaposition of these two metrics is appropriate for this in between position we find ourselves in right now," Minnesota Department of Health Director of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Kris Ehresmann said Wednesday during a call with the media. "Just like Minnesota's March weather — spring on the weekend and snowstorm on Monday — these two milestones show that we are making exciting progress even as we must be prepared for some setbacks."
Minnesota nears these new milestones the same week that it lifted some pandemic restrictions on public facing businesses and social gatherings, and as its number of active COVID-19 hospitalizations and test positivity rate are increasing. Those metrics further underscore a recent position health officials have taken: that ground gained in Minnesota's effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic can still be lost.
Also Wednesday, Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan quarantined after a member of the governor's staff with whom they were in contact at media event Monday, March 15, tested positive for the disease.
RELATED: Walz, Flanagan quarantined after staff member tests positive for COVID-19
Health Department Commissioner Jan Malcolm and several members of Minnesota's congressional delegation were also at the event. The governors office said Malcolm, Walz and Flanagan were not within 6 feet of the staff member in question for longer than 15 minutes, meaning they may not have been exposed.
They will still quarantine for a period of time, according to the governor's office. Of the three, only Malcolm has been fully vaccinated, having last week received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose. She is still within the 14-day window that the vaccine is said to need in order to become fully effective, however.
Flanagan has received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine, two shots of which are required. Walz has not been vaccinated at all, and had said previously he would not seek the vaccine until his age group becomes eligible for it.
"I think this is an important reminder of the importance of continuing to take all precautions seriously at this point in the pandemic," Malcolm said on Wednesday's call.
Following are the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 case rates, deaths, hospitalizations and vaccinations as of Wednesday. Because all data is preliminary, some numbers and totals may change from one day to the next.
Statewide case rates
- NEW CASES: 1,046
-
SEVEN-DAY, ROLLING AVERAGE OF NEW CASES PER 100,000 PEOPLE: 15.1 (As of Monday, March 8)
- TOTAL CASES: 499,962
- TOTAL RECOVERED: 484,819
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SEVEN-DAY, ROLLING AVERAGE TEST POSITIVITY RATE: 4% (As of Monday, March 8)
Hospitalizations, deaths
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ACTIVE HOSPITALIZATIONS: 282
-
TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS: 26,459
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DEATHS, NEWLY REPORTED: 7
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TOTAL DEATHS: 6,756
Vaccinations
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FIRST DOSE ADMINISTERED: 1,284,612 people, or 23.1% of the state population
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COMPLETED SERIES (2 DOSES): 746,829, or 13.4% of the state population
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