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Minnesota reported 18 more deaths caused by COVID-19 Tuesday, along with 1,612 new cases, showing slowing trends ahead of an announcement from Gov. Tim Walz that he’ll loosen restrictions on bars and restaurants.

The 18 additional deaths make it the second straight day with a toll of fewer than 20. That hasn’t happened since before Election Day.

At the same time, the state reported only 2,455 new vaccinations, putting the total at 80,857, and keeping vaccinations well behind the number of doses available across the state.

The latest numbers come as Walz plans to announce a rollback of restrictions for indoor dining this week, his office said Monday evening. Minnesota’s current COVID-19 restrictions, including a ban on indoor dining, run through late Sunday.

“Many of them are ready to put in mitigation efforts. But I think this idea that everybody is going to go back in maskless and pack these places, that’s not the way it’s going to look,” the governor said.

He said coronavirus test positivity rates are lower than they were when the restrictions were imposed, and hospitals aren’t under as much strain. Walz said he personally would feel comfortable eating at a restaurant once indoor table service resumes.

Walz is expected to announce his next steps during a live address at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The announcement comes as Minnesota health officials say the state expects to receive enough COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate all its health care workers and most nursing-home residents by the end of January.

While enough vaccines are available for a first shot for all health care workers designated for phase 1A, which covers health care professionals, long-term care residents and others most likely to encounter the coronavirus, Ehresmann said it would take through the month of January to complete the first round.

Case numbers have been mostly stable, although Monday marks a notable upturn. That said, state data show unusual deviations in other areas, like the percent of positive tests. That’s often a sign of data anomalies that can be linked to holiday reporting schedules.

New hospital admissions jumped to 157, slightly over the seven day average for new hospitalizations of 122.

Caseloads spread across age groups

People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 80,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 42,000 among people ages 20 to 24.

The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 32,000 total cases among those ages 15 to 19 since the pandemic began.

Although less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up hospitalized, experts worry youth and young adults will spread it to older relatives and members of other vulnerable populations.

It’s of particular concern because people can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 when they don’t have symptoms.

New cases ebb across Minnesota

Central and western Minnesota drove much of the increase in new cases over the past two months, while Hennepin and Ramsey counties showed some of the slowest case growth in the state.

Cases continue to fall statewide, with most regions dipping down to levels before the state’s COVID-19 surge that hit in November and early December.

Hot spots continue to pop up in rural counties relative to their population.

Caseloads still heaviest among people of color

In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 has hit communities of color disproportionately hard in both cases and deaths. That’s been especially true for Minnesotans of Hispanic descent for much of the pandemic.

Even as new case counts ease from their peak a few weeks ago, the data shows people of color continue to be hit hardest.

Distrust of the government, together with deeply rooted health and economic disparities, have hampered efforts to boost testing among communities of color, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their personal information may be used to deport them.

Similar trends have been seen among Minnesota’s Indigenous residents. Counts among Indigenous people jumped in October relative to population.

South-central Minnesota update

After reporting 46 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, Freeborn Count reported 18 new cases on Tuesday, increasing the county’s cumulative case count to 2,094. Of that number, 162 are considered active cases.

Four new people were reported hospitalized since Monday, increasing the total people who have been hospitalized at some point during their illness to 103.

The new cases included the following:

• One person between 0 and 4

• One person between 5 and 9

• Two people between 15 and 19

• Two people in their 20s

• Three people in their 30s

• Three people in their 40s

• Five people in their 50s

• One person in their 70s

The following are updates on other area counties:

• Faribault County: five new lab-confirmed cases; 954 total cases

• Mower County: 14 new lab-confirmed cases; 3,392 total cases

• Steele County: five new lab-confirmed cases; 2,551 total cases

• Waseca County: 10 new lab-confirmed cases; 1,806 total cases

 

Minnesota COVID-19 cases, deaths

County	Total confirmed cases	Total probable cases	Total cases	Total deaths
Aitkin	1,012	23	1,035	32
Anoka	27,559	2,076	29,635	335
Becker	2,673	52	2,725	37
Beltrami	2,807	132	2,939	44
Benton	3,829	175	4,004	82
Big Stone	439	9	448	3
Blue Earth	5,112	41	5,153	30
Brown	2,002	42	2,044	32
Carlton	2,348	327	2,675	38
Carver	6,275	317	6,592	34
Cass	1,925	41	1,966	20
Chippewa	1,258	34	1,292	30
Chisago	4,081	214	4,295	28
Clay	6,208	72	6,280	78
Clearwater	644	22	666	14
Cook	108	0	108	0
Cottonwood	1,149	81	1,230	15
Crow Wing	4,537	66	4,603	67
Dakota	29,910	1,224	31,134	285
Dodge	1,205	5	1,210	4
Douglas	3,431	137	3,568	63
Faribault	945	9	954	11
Fillmore	1,119	15	1,134	2
Freeborn	2,084	10	2,094	18
Goodhue	3,157	39	3,196	49
Grant	406	3	409	7
Hennepin	85,540	2,837	88,377	1,408
Houston	1,170	47	1,217	13
Hubbard	1,388	26	1,414	37
Isanti	2,546	160	2,706	33
Itasca	2,684	40	2,724	40
Jackson	756	48	804	8
Kanabec	922	21	943	18
Kandiyohi	5,390	49	5,439	66
Kittson	306	36	342	18
Koochiching	545	11	556	9
Lac qui Parle	577	47	624	15
Lake	519	47	566	15
Lake of the Woods	152	5	157	1
Le Sueur	1,973	22	1,995	15
Lincoln	454	8	462	1
Lyon	2,822	70	2,892	29
Mahnomen	396	1	397	7
Marshall	667	16	683	13
Martin	1,576	27	1,603	25
McLeod	3,086	49	3,135	40
Meeker	1,883	27	1,910	32
Mille Lacs	2,000	69	2,069	43
Morrison	2,867	116	2,983	43
Mower	3,347	45	3,392	25
Murray	726	47	773	5
Nicollet	2,082	45	2,127	33
Nobles	3,490	63	3,553	46
Norman	411	2	413	8
Olmsted	9,610	41	9,651	64
Otter Tail	4,154	156	4,310	53
Pennington	838	76	914	14
Pine	2,428	120	2,548	12
Pipestone	854	31	885	21
Polk	3,026	193	3,219	52
Pope	692	5	697	4
Ramsey	36,639	1,348	37,987	698
Red Lake	271	41	312	4
Redwood	1,298	29	1,327	26
Renville	1,273	51	1,324	39
Rice	5,589	76	5,665	57
Rock	967	76	1,043	10
Roseau	1,506	114	1,620	14
Scott	10,915	365	11,280	85
Sherburne	7,380	497	7,877	58
Sibley	1,008	34	1,042	5
St. Louis	12,350	574	12,924	213
Stearns	16,721	528	17,249	175
Steele	2,543	8	2,551	9
Stevens	670	8	678	7
Swift	787	22	809	16
Todd	2,237	21	2,258	27
Traverse	192	29	221	2
Wabasha	1,559	9	1,568	2
Wadena	1,109	41	1,150	12
Waseca	1,799	7	1,806	15
Washington	18,324	686	19,010	198
Watonwan	1,029	7	1,036	7
Wilkin	573	20	593	9
Winona	3,626	38	3,664	45
Wright	10,330	741	11,071	90
Yellow Medicine	836	62	898	14
Unknown/missing	405	24	429	0