Coronavirus Tuesday update: Hospitalizations and infections continue to climb

Sep. 14—The number of Minnesotans with severe COVID-19 infections requiring hospitalization has eclipsed the earlier spring surge and are now at levels not seen since January when the state's worst peak of infections was subsiding.

There are 748 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, including 208 in critical condition. Intensive care hospital beds are in short supply in more than half of the state, according to the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Nearly all new coronavirus infections are caused by the more contagious delta variant, which is also believed to cause more severe illness. Minnesota recorded 4,603 new cases and a dozen COVID-19 deaths over the weekend.

The latest fatalities to be reported ranged in age from their 40s to their 90s with seven residing in private homes, three in long-term care and two in behavioral health facilities. Eleven of the deaths occurred in September and one in August.

The death toll in Minnesota is 7,915, with 4,567 of those fatalities in nursing homes or assisted living. There have been 93 other deaths suspected to be caused by COVID-19, but the person never had a positive coronavirus test.

The rate of test-positivity, new infections and hospitalizations remain above the caution threshold health officials use to determine if the pandemic is under control.

There are an estimated 12,500 people with active cases who are recovering at home. Of the 673,774 cases diagnosed since the pandemic began, 652,675, or 97 percent, have recovered enough they no longer need to be isolated.

Minnesota has administered 6.2 million coronavirus vaccine doses and 71.5 percent of the eligible population has gotten at least one dose.

More than 99 percent of fully vaccinated Minnesotans have not reported breakthrough infections. Since vaccination began, there have been 18,790 breakthrough cases with 1,095 requiring hospitalization and 108 deaths.