COVID In Minnesota: 43 Deaths, 2,489 New Virus Cases Reported
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Minnesota health officials on Saturday reported 2,489 new cases of COVID and 43 deaths. So far, 119,744 vaccine doses have been administered.
The new numbers from the Minnesota Department of Health bring the state's cumulative case count to 434,413 and 5,663 total deaths.
In the last 24 hours, 42,434 tests have been processed. Over 3 million Minnesotans have been tested since March.
Doses of the highly-anticipated vaccine have not been administered as quickly as anticipated. Gov. Tim Walz joined a handful of other governors in urging the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary to release the doses reserved for the second shot of the vaccine. According to Walz, federal officials had said the state would have 600,000 doses of the vaccine by now, not 300,000. In Minnesota, 93,758 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered, while 25,932 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been given to health care workers and long-term care residents.
MORE: Gov. Tim Walz Welcomes Biden Administration move To Release More Vaccines
A total of 22,699 Minnesotans have needed to be hospitalized as a result of the virus, of which 4,762 have been in intensive care.
Over 400,000 people who have had the virus no longer require isolation.
