Commissioner Jan Malcolm, Department of Health

• Commissioner Malcolm reported 1,449 new cases of COVID-19. This brings the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 502,893.
• Just over 40,000 COVID-19 lab tests were processed.
• Nine more Minnesotans died due to COVID-19. This brings the state’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to 6,771.
• Currently, 316 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 with 74 of those in the ICU.
• The seven-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is now at 4.2%. The state is seeing this rate ticking up fairly steadily.
• The state passed two million total vaccine doses administered. Almost 1.34 million Minnesotans have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over half of those have had the complete series of vaccination.
• The state is closely reviewing new CDC guidance that allows for three feet between middle and high school students. The state still recommends six feet wherever feasible.
• Commissioner Malcolm said the state is at a key point in the course of the pandemic. While vaccinations continue to increase, it remains important to keep up vigilance to limit transmission as much as possible.

Director Kris Ehresmann, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division

• Director Ehresmann said the state is seeing a concerning increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Minnesota. The state suspects the B117 variant (U.K. variant) is driving the increase – particularly in Carver, Scott, Blue Earth, and St. Louis counties.
• The state has identified 317 cases of the B117 variant, 73 cases of the B1427 and B1439 variants (California variant), three cases of the B1351 variant (South African variant), and two cases of the P1 variant (Brazil variant).
• Given the increase in cases, particularly those of the more transmissible B117 variant, Director Ehresmann outlined the state’s guidance for gatherings with spring holidays coming up.
• The Minnesota Department of Health continues to discourage interstate and international travel.
• Director Ehresmann said the state is “at a pivot point in the pandemic right now” and that Minnesotans “need to be cautious a little while longer.”
• For next week’s allocation of COVID-19 vaccine doses that will be administered, the state will receive:
• 74,800 Pfizer doses
• 64,000 Moderna doses (which includes adding 10,220 doses by moving second doses to first doses)
• 12,600 Johnson & Johnson doses
• 77.5% of the state’s 65-and-older population have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Amos A. Briggs | Government Relations
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