Latest on COVID-19 in MN: New community vaccination site opens Monday

3 issues to know:

• About 10 % of Minnesotans have obtained a minimum of one vaccine dose.

• Second group vaccination website opens Monday.

• Key COVID-19 metrics holding regular or slowly falling.

COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Minnesota will ramp up this week, with a group vaccination website opening in Duluth on Monday and one other set to open in southern Minnesota within the coming days.

They’ll be part of an current group website in Minneapolis, because the state enters the second week of February with about 10 % of Minnesotans having obtained a minimum of the primary dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The state reached that milestone as of Sunday’s replace from Minnesota Division of Well being, reflecting knowledge reported as of Friday. That is simply over 554,000 folks. About 2.8 % of Minnesotans — practically 157,000 folks — have obtained each doses to finish their vaccination.

And the state is slowly making progress in vaccinating folks age 65 and older. Simply over 27 % of that age group in Minnesota have now obtained a minimum of one dose of the vaccine.

However the tempo of vaccinations continues to be a supply of frustration, and state officers say they want extra vaccine doses to satisfy the demand. Minnesota took a step again final week, with fewer vaccinations reported than the earlier week.

Averaged over the previous week, Minnesota is now averaging about 25,800 doses administered every day. That is down from greater than 31,000 a day every week in the past.

Listed below are Minnesota’s present COVID-19 statistics:

• 6,299 deaths (10 new)

• 468,118 constructive circumstances (914 new), 453,225 off isolation (97 %)

• 6.8 million exams, 3.3 million Minnesotans examined (about 58 % of the inhabitants)

• 10 % of Minnesotans vaccinated with a minimum of one dose

COVID-19 metrics proceed to indicate Minnesota holding its personal, with ranges of latest circumstances, hospital admissions and deaths at their lowest level since final fall.

Ten newly reported deaths raised Minnesota’s toll to six,299 on Sunday. Amongst those that’ve died, about 63 % had been residing in long-term care or assisted residing amenities; most had underlying well being issues.

State officers proceed to warning that the encouraging developments are nonetheless tenuous, noting the brand new virus strains arriving in the US, together with two circumstances of the Brazilian pressure and 16 of the U.Ok. variant in Minnesota.

And so they had urged folks to keep away from giant gatherings to look at the Tremendous Bowl on Sunday.

Well being officers shall be anticipating any indicators of rising case counts tied to the virus variants — and social gatherings — within the coming weeks.

Circumstances unfold throughout age teams, areas

Individuals of their 20s nonetheless make up the age bracket with the state’s largest variety of confirmed circumstances — practically 89,000 for the reason that pandemic started, together with practically 47,000 amongst folks ages 20 to 24.

The variety of excessive school-age youth confirmed with the illness has additionally grown, with greater than 36,000 whole circumstances amongst these ages 15 to 19 for the reason that pandemic started.

Though much less more likely to really feel the worst results of the illness and find yourself hospitalized, consultants fear youth and younger adults will unfold it unknowingly to older family and members of different susceptible populations.

Individuals can have the coronavirus and unfold COVID-19 after they don’t have signs.

Caseloads are trending down throughout all areas of the state following a late December, early January blip.

Caseloads nonetheless heaviest amongst folks of coloration

In Minnesota and throughout the nation, COVID-19 has hit communities of coloration disproportionately onerous in each circumstances and deaths. That’s been very true for Minnesotans of Hispanic descent for a lot of the pandemic.

Whilst new case counts proceed to fall from their late November, early December peaks, the information exhibits folks of coloration proceed to be hit hardest.

Mistrust of the federal government, along with deeply rooted well being and financial disparities, have hampered efforts to spice up testing amongst communities of coloration, officers say, particularly amongst unauthorized immigrants who concern their private data could also be used to deport them.

COVID-19 in Minnesota

Knowledge in these graphs are primarily based on the Minnesota Division of Well being’s cumulative totals launched at 11 a.m. day by day. You will discover extra detailed statistics on COVID-19 on the Well being Division web site.

Newest developments

The state’s second group vaccination website opens Monday in Duluth, with 1,500 folks ages 65 and over anticipated to obtain their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The folks chosen for appointments have been chosen at random from among the many greater than 225,000 individuals who registered with the state final month for an opportunity to be chosen.

The location on the Duluth Leisure Conference Middle joins one other website that opened final week on the Minneapolis Conference Middle. State officers say they plan to open a 3rd website this week in southern Minnesota.

Whereas most Minnesota seniors will get vaccinated via their well being care suppliers at hospitals, clinics or pharmacies, state officers have stated these group websites are wanted to achieve individuals who don’t have established relationships with suppliers.

The massive-scale vaccination websites substitute 9 pilot clinics the state arrange final month to manage vaccines to folks age 65 and older who preregistered with the state’s lottery system.

For many who obtained their first doses at one of many pilot websites, they are going to be contacted to schedule an appointment for his or her second shot.

Others who registered who haven’t but been contacted will proceed to have an opportunity to be chosen for an appointment as extra doses of the vaccine turn out to be out there.

“We significantly recognize Minnesotans’ continued persistence as we have labored via our pilot program,” stated Jason Metsa with the state’s emergency operations heart.

State officers say 6,000 doses have thus far been allotted to the Neighborhood Vaccination Program websites in Minneapolis and Duluth.

Vault Well being, which runs a number of saliva testing websites across the state, can also be managing the vaccination websites.

On the Duluth website, rows of tables have been arrange, the place nurses will administer the photographs to folks with appointments. Behind these tables, folks will sit in rows of socially distanced chairs after they obtain their photographs. Vault Well being’s Shawn Baxley says folks should keep a minimum of quarter-hour for statement.

“We’ve a medical physician staffed together with varied superior apply clinicians like nurse practitioners,” Baxley stated. “Each single one who will get a shot will get a one-on-one with a kind of clinicians the place they’ll ask questions.”

Whereas folks from round Minnesota have been eligible to join the lottery, it’s unclear from precisely how far-off folks shall be touring to Duluth, in subzero temperatures. Minnesota’s hospitals lately criticized the state’s lottery system for folks ages 65 and older, saying the websites in Duluth and Minneapolis are out of attain for individuals who stay within the western a part of the state.

Metsa, with the state’s emergency operations heart, stated the state will proceed to work with hospitals and different companions to get via the pandemic. He stated the state gained’t “depart a stone unturned” on the subject of getting the vaccine out as shortly as attainable.

— Dan Kraker | MPR Information

High headlines

Minnesota hospitals say state’s vaccine distribution is at ‘untenable crossroads’: In a letter to the Minnesota Division of Well being, a coalition of Minnesota’s hospitals say the state’s vaccine distribution system is inequitable, leaving some clinics and hospitals with out doses to offer to older, susceptible sufferers.