Minnesota National Guard
Monday’s COVID update from the Minnesota Department of Health includes four new deaths and fewer than 1,000 new cases.
New reported deaths bring the state’s total to 5,711 over the pandemic, of which 64% (3,655) were long-term care residents, including two of the four reported Monday.
On Saturday evening, Minnesota confirmed the first five cases of a UK-based mutant variant of COVID-19, with residents in four Twin Cities counties testing positive for B.1.1.7. varying after falling ill between 16 and 31 December.
Meanwhile, the state reported Monday that 147,645 people have been vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The state has received 396,350 doses.
Hospitalizations
As of Jan. 10, the number of people with COVID-19 hospitalized in Minnesota was 686, down from 787 reported on Jan. 6. It is the lowest number of COVID revenues since October 28 (680).
Of those hospitalized, 141 (compared to 130 reported on Friday) were in intensive care and 545 (compared to 629) were receiving treatment that was not used in the ICU.
Across the state, 180 staffed ICU beds were available. During the November hike, the state had less than 100 staff-intensive beds available. The number of beds available depends on the number of staff available, so totals are constantly changing.
Test rates and positivity
The 980 positive results of Monday’s update came from a total of 15,980 completed tests, which created a daily positivity rate of 6.13%.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the Minnesota test positivity rate over the past seven days is 8.25%, which is down again after falling below 5% just over a week ago.
The World Health Organization recommends that a percentage of positive percentages (divided by the total number of tests completed) of less than 5% be needed for at least two weeks to reopen the economy safely. This 5% threshold is based on the total positives divided by the total tests.
Coronavirus in Minnesota by the numbers
- Total tests: 5,953,863 (compared to 5,935,902)
- Tested people: 3,089,057 (to 3,082,747)
- Positive cases: 437,552 (to 436,572)
- Deaths: 5,711 – 202 of which are “probable *” (up to 5,707)
- Patients who no longer need isolation: 417,005 (up to 414,756)
- Total people vaccinated: 147,645 (from 132,280)
* Probable deaths are patients who died after testing positive for the COVID-19 antigen test, which is thought to be less accurate than the more common PCR test.