16 New COVID-19 Related Deaths, 1,857 New Cases Reported Thursday

The Minnesota Department of Health reported 1,857 new coronavirus cases along with 16 new COVID-19 related deaths.

One of the deaths came from a resident in the Lakeland viewing area:

• A Lake of the Woods County resident between the ages of 70-74

The state has also identified 89 coronavirus infections in people who have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

State infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann said the fraction of fully vaccinated people who still contract infections was expected. Clinical trials suggested the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 95% effective. Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine is said to be about 66% effective.

The 1,857 new cases came from a total of 40,859 tests for a case positivity rate of 4.5%.

In the Lakeland viewing area, there were 107 new confirmed cases in the following counties:

• Aitkin – 2
• Beltrami – 4
• Crow Wing – 15
• Itasca – 16
• Koochiching – 6
• Mahnomen – 1
• Mille Lacs – 16
• Morrison – 34
• Polk – 1
• Todd – 7
• Wadena – 5