3-9 COVID-19 Update: Minnesota to Start Next Vaccine Phase Three Weeks Ahead of Schedule

3-9 COVID-19 Update from Minnesota Department of Health

The Minnesota Department of Health provided the latest public health information regarding COVID-19 vaccines and the next phase of distribution on Tuesday, March 9. MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm and MDH Infectious Disease Director Disease Kris Ehresmann took part in the briefing.

MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm

• “We are really pleased in making such good progress protecting our seniors,” said Malcolm.
• Vaccine shipments will continue to increase, but demand still exceeds supply, she said.
• NOTE: Today’s case and death figures are the result of a backlog of data not previously reported. (See below)
• In Minnesota, 492,108 cases since start of pandemic (up 1,641)
  • Without the backlog, today’s new case total would have been 750.
• In Minnesota, 6,696 total deaths since pandemic began (up 140)
  • Without backlog, today’s newly reported deaths would be 2.

Latest on Vaccines

• 1.68 million doses of vaccine administered in Minnesota
  • Of those, 1.1 million Minnesotans have received at least one dose
• 10.8% of Minnesotans age 16 and over have completed the vaccine series
• 67.1% of Minnesotans age 65+ have received at least one dose of vaccine. State projecting to reach 70% mark Wednesday.
• Vaccine shipments have increased in recent weeks
• It appears there’s more vaccine in rural areas than demand requires compared to metro area. “We did get some of that feedback as well,” said Malcolm. MDH did some rebalancing of geographic allocation this week.

The Next Phase of Vaccinations

• Next priority group (Phase 1b Tier 2) includes about 72,000 people
  • This group includes at least 28,000 Minnesotans 16 and older who have high-risk conditions. These conditions include the following:
    • sickle cell disease
    • Down syndrome
    • Lung and heart conditions requiring supplemental oxygen
    • People being treated for cancer
    • Those who have compromised immune systems following organ transplants.
  • This group also includes roughly 44,000 food plant workers.
• A second priority group (Phase 1b Tier 3) also includes about 1.8 million Minnesotans
  • Next priority group includes adults 45 and older with one qualifying medical condition, or adults 16 or older with two or more medical conditions.
    • Conditions range from diabetes to obesity to heart conditions.
    • Minnesotans age 50 or older in multigenerational housing also qualify due to greater risk of viral spread. Multigenerational housing is where three or more generations reside.
  • Second priority group also includes a range of workers in key industries. Workers include:
    • airport security
    • grocery store clerks
    • police officers
    • bus drivers
    • mail carriers

Private Lab Failure to Report Backlog of Cases, Deaths

• MDH audit found that four private labs failed to properly report data. Enforcement action could include penalties and fines of up to $10,000. Malcolm unable to release names of labs because the investigation is ongoing.
• This added 138 deaths to state’s death total and 891 cases to state case total. These cases go back about five months.
• “We absolutely do not believe the failure to report was intentional,” said Malcolm.
• Malcolm said MDH routinely conducts audits to make sure its data are accurate.
• Minnesota has more than 940 labs reporting COVID-19 test results. “A lot more laboratories have gotten in the business of COVID testing,” said Malcolm.

Update on SARS-coV2 Variants

• At least 187 cases of B.1.1.7 variant detected in Minnesota. This number is vastly underrepresented. This total is only what is randomly sequenced in MDH lab.

Also see: 3-8 COVID-19 Update: 10% of Minnesotans Fully Vaccinated

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