2-22 COVID-19 Update: Minnesota Department of Health Reports 23 Gym Outbreaks in January
2-22 COVID-19 Update from the Minnesota Department of Health
The Minnesota Department of Health will hold a conference call Monday to brief members of the media on the latest public health information regarding COVID-19.
You can watch the full briefing here.
MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm:
- In Minnesota, 479,591 total cases since pandemic began (up 561 on testing volume of 17,666 lab results)
- 872 cases reported on Saturday, 885 on Sunday
- In Minnesota, 6,433 total deaths since start of pandemic (up 1)
- 11 deaths reported Saturday and 9 on Sunday
- 7-day case positivity rate is 3.6%. (The state’s “caution threshold” is 5%)
- In some regions of the state, case rates are above that threshold, said Malcolm.
- 235 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19, lowest since Sept. 22.
- Of those hospitalized, 48 in ICUs, lowest since early April
Latest on Vaccines:
- A total of 1.12 million vaccine doses administered so far
- Of those, 759,747 people have received at least one dose.
- Doses expected last week will come in their entirety this week due to weather conditions in the South (about 88,000 doses). State also expects to receive 108,000 doses by end of week.
- “There’s a lot of scrambling going on,” said Malcolm. MDH believes it does have enough capacity to administer all these shots.
- “We anticipate it will be a busy week for administration,” said Ehresmann.
MDH Director of Infectious Disease Kris Ehresmann:
- Some vaccine appointments had to be postponed due last week’s storms in the South. But “seeing a return to normal” on vaccine shipments after last week’s weather delays, she said.
- Expecting last week’s Moderna shipments between today and Wednesday and this week’s Moderna order between Wednesday and Friday.
- Some Pfizer shipments delayed from last week expected today, with this week’s shipment coming between Tuesday and Thursday.
- “Overall numbers look much better than two months ago, but we still need to keep up our guard,” said Ehresmann.
- 23 outbreaks associated with gyms and fitness centers in January
- “Please do not work out in a gym if you’ve been exposed to someone with the virus,” said Ehresmann. “Indoor settings inherently present a higher risk than outdoor settings.”
Q&A Session and Notes:
- Governor Tim Walz announced Monday that Hy-Vee will be added to the expanding network of pharmacies vaccinating Minnesotans across the state.
- Hy-Vee joins two other retail pharmacies in Minnesota — Walmart and Thrifty White — that are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program that launched earlier this month.
- Hy-Vee will administer more than 10,000 doses of the vaccine this week to adults 65 years of age and older at more than 30 Hy-Vee sites in the state.
- Appointments at Hy-Vee will become available in the coming days, and the locations and contact information for scheduling appointments will be accessible on the Vaccine Locator map when the information becomes available. The state will also notify seniors who are signed up for the Vaccine Connector about this new vaccine opportunity.
- More than 300,000 Minnesotans signed up so far for Vaccine Connector tool.
- By end of February, everyone at long-term care and assisted living facilities in Minnesota will have had opportunity to receive first doses. Finish up on second doses in ensuing weeks.
- Continue to see decline in cases at these facilities, said Ehresmann.
- MDH seeing “a minor but noticeable uptick in cases” among school-age children and teachers over last few weeks since in-person learning resumed at elementary schools last month, said Malcolm. It’s “nothing that is concerning to us,” added Ehresmann.
- Malcolm indicated about 25% of all educators have been vaccinated.
- On fans at Twins games: “So many of us are looking forward to enjoying a game at Target Field,” said Malcolm. “We are truly optimistic about the possibility of fans getting back into sports venues.” She notes vaccinations need to progress and masking and social distancing protocols need to continue to make it happen.
Also see: A COVID-19 Vaccine Milestone: Minnesota Hits One Million Doses
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