Mapping COVID-19 in Minnesota: Latest on cases, vaccines, masks and breakthrough infections
This page updates monthly. Last update: Friday, Jan. 6, 12:33 p.m.
Wondering about the state of Minnesota’s COVID-19 outbreak?
State health officials moved in July 2022 to reporting new pandemic data once a week. Here’s the latest weekly stats:
Here’s a link to our latest articles.
At least one case has been reported in all of Minnesota’s 87 counties. The majority of cases are in the Twin Cities metro, but rural counties have the highest number of cases per capita.
Here’s where cases are growing most quickly:
The highly-contagious omicron strain and its different sub-variants are believed to be responsible for nearly all recent infections. The first case of the omicron variant was reported in Minnesota Dec. 2, 2021.
Health providers began vaccinating residents in mid-December 2020 with frontline health workers, nursing home residents and their caregivers at the top of the priority list. By June 2022, everyone except infants under six months is eligible to be vaccinated.
Minnesota has administered millions of boosters since they were first approved in September, but only about 23 percent of residents are considered up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines.
The Minnesota Department of Health began reporting breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated residents in August 2021. Vaccines remain effective, but the protection they provide wanes considerably after five months and boosters are recommended.
Minnesota has surpassed 11.8 million vaccine doses administered. There are 4 million people have gotten at least one dose and 3.7 million have completed their initial vaccination series. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots and boosters are recommended after five or six months.
To learn more about how to get vaccinated visit: vaccineconnector.mn.gov.
Since the pandemic began 79,886 patients have hospitalized with 13,569 requiring intensive care.
COVID-19 TESTING IN MN
Minnesota public and private labs have performed more than 20 million diagnostic tests with nearly every one of the state’s 5.7 million residents being screened at least once since March 2020. Many people have been tested multiple times.
At-home tests have become increasingly popular and fewer institutions are reporting negative test results to state officials so the Minnesota Department of Health stopped reporting test-positivity rates in April 2022.
At-home tests give results quickly and do not require a laboratory for processing, but they are considered less reliable than the DNA tests used since the start of the pandemic. Their popularity has led to health officials focusing on coronavirus genetic material in wastewater to gauge the current size of the outbreak.
Most Minnesotans who’ve contracted the coronavirus have recovered enough that they no longer need to be isolated.
Of the 13,968 who’ve died of COVID-19, about 6,000 fatalities have been residents of long-term care. There are another 389 fatalities health officials suspect were caused by the coronavirus, but the person never tested positive for the virus.
Serious and fatal cases are uncommon in younger patients. COVID-19 is more likely to be severe in Minnesotans who are older and have underlying health conditions.
U.S. and worldwide number of cases and deaths
Worldwide, there are 664 million reported cases and 6.7 million reported deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. has more cases and fatalities than any country in the world. Nationally, there are more than 101 million reported cases and more than 1 million reported deaths, according to the university’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
More than 13.2 billion coronavirus vaccines have been administered worldwide including 654 million in the U.S.
How to stay healthy and prevent transmission
The Minnesota Department of Health recommends people take the same precautions as avoiding colds and flu: wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, stay home if you are sick, and cover your cough.
Minimizing contact with others through social distancing — keeping at least six feet away from people — may help limit the spread. Click here for more information on social distancing.
The CDC recommends wearing a face mask when you’re in a public place where it’s difficult to maintain social distancing. While the mask may not protect you from acquiring the virus, it may prevent you from transmitting it to others.
The Minnesota Department of Health also recommends that people 65 and older, and people of any age who have underlying health conditions that put them at a higher risk of severe illness from the coronavirus, should stay at home, avoid gatherings and other potential COVID-19 exposures, and not travel.
You can make your own hand sanitizer.
Worried about getting sick? Here are some steps you can take to boost your immune system.
It’s also recommended that you try to not touch your face, which can serve as an entry point for microbes. Try these handy tips to avoid touching your face.
The CDC also recommends cleaning all “high-touch” surfaces — which includes your phone. Here’s how to properly clean your phone without damaging it.
COVID-19 symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after infection. Symptoms may include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
What to do if you think you are sick
If you think you are sick with COVID-19, you should call your health care provider and let them know you may have the virus before going for an appointment.
The CDC recommends the following for those who think they are sick:
- Isolate at home, avoiding public areas and public transportation
- Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
- Wear a facemask when around other people
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
- Dispose of used tissues in a lined trash can
- Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds
- Clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces
- Monitor your symptoms and seek prompt medical attention if they worsen
If you develop emergency warning signs, get medical attention immediately. These signs include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
If you have questions about the coronavirus, you can call the Minnesota Department of Health’s COVID-19 Hotline at 651-201-3920 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
More information
For a complete list of our COVID-19 coverage, click here.