Minnesota reported 502 new COVID-19 cases and six new deaths today. Five of the six deaths that were reported today involved people who lived in private residences.

The 502 new cases came from a total of 9,158 test administered for a case positivity rate of 5.4%. Health officials said yesterday that the state’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate was at 5.2%, up from last Monday when it was at 4.9%. The goal is to keep that average below 5%.

There are currently 294 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and of those hospitalized, 136 are hospitalized in ICU.

In addition, a third COVID-19 vaccine candidate has entered a final stage of human testing in the United States. AstraZeneca, which is a Cambridge, England-based company, said the study will include up to 30,000 adults from different racial, ethnic and geographic groups.

Two other vaccine candidates began final testing this summer in people in the U.S. One was created by the National Institutes of Health and manufactured by Moderna Inc., and the other was developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech.

“To have just one vaccine enter the final stage of trials eight months after discovering a virus would be a remarkable achievement; to have three at that point with more on the way is extraordinary,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine proposed giving the first vaccine doses to high-risk health care workers and first responders.

In the Lakeland viewing area, the state reported 22 new cases in the following counties:

• Aitkin – 3
• Crow Wing – 2
• Hubbard – 1
• Itasca – 3
• Lake of the Woods – 3
• Mahnomen – 1
• Morrison – 2
• Polk – 4
• Roseau – 1
• Todd – 2

By — Destiny Wiggins