Minnesota reports 238 new COVID-19 cases, 10 deaths Thursday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 238 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 more deaths Thursday. The state has now seen daily case counts under 300 for four of the last seven days.

The 238 newly reported cases were out of 9,706 tests, a 2.5% positivity rate, according to the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota’s seven-day average test positivity rate, a lagging indicator, has now fallen to 3.1% from its spring peak of 7.4% in early April. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates a high rate of community transmission.

High school seniors ready for return of in person commencement

High school seniors are looking forward to the return of in person commencement ceremonies after the pandemic restrictions last year.

Four of the 10 deaths reported on Thursday were in long-term care facilities. Seven of the newly reported deaths were in the seven-county Twin Cities metro. Only one of the people who died was under the age of 65.

There are currently 252 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Minnesota, 72 of whom are in the ICU.

Meanwhile, over 2.9 million Minnesotans over the age of 12 have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 2.6 are fully vaccinated, which is 62.4% and 55.5% of the state’s 12 and older population, MDH data shows.