Minnesota reports 150 new COVID-19 cases, 8 more deaths Wednesday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 150 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths Wednesday. The state has now seen 603,144 COVID-19 cases and 7,477 deaths attributed to the disease since the pandemic began.

Of the eight newly reported deaths, three were residents in long-term care facilities.

The state’s seven-day rolling average test positivity rate, a lagging indicator, is down to 2.3% from its spring peak at 7.4% in early April. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates a high rate of community transmission of the virus.

Statewide, there are currently 54 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and 138 COVID-19 patients hospitalized but not in the ICU.

MDH reported more than 65% of people 16 years of age and older have at least one dose of the vaccine and 60.1% are fully vaccinated. The state is aiming to have 70% of that population vaccinated by July 1.

Over 2.9 million Minnesotans have gotten at least one dose of vaccine to date and over 2.6 million are fully vaccinated.

Pediatricians see uptick in upper respiratory illnesses

Some pediatricians are seeing an uptick in upper respiratory illnesses, which are commonly found during the winter, now that more gatherings have returned.