Three more deaths and 249 new infections – Twin Cities

Minnesota recorded three more deaths from COVID-19 on Friday and 249 more infections were reported by the state Department of Health.

The latest deaths include an Itasca County resident in his 20s, an Anoka County resident in his 50s and a Hennepin County resident in his 60s. Two were residing in private homes and one in a behavioral health facility.

State health officials say almost all new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are from people not fully immunized. About 68% of Minnesotans aged 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The 249 new infections bring the state’s total cases to 607,524 since the start of the pandemic. The number of cases and the positivity of the tests have increased slightly from their low point about two weeks ago.

The current seven-day moving average for test positivity is 1.5%, which is well below the conservative threshold of 5%.

Hospitalizations and deaths remain at the lowest levels for more than a year. There are 101 hospitalized patients, 19 of whom are in critical condition.

The weekly average of COVID-19 deaths is around 2 per day. There have been 7,635 deaths since the start of the pandemic, including 4,489 in long-term care.

Minnesota exceeded 5.8 million doses of vaccine administered and 3.1 million people received at least one dose. There are 2.9 million who are fully vaccinated.