U.S. Shows Signs Of Progress in COVID-19 Cases and Vaccinations

(AP) — More than three months into the U.S. vaccination drive, many of the numbers paint an increasingly encouraging picture, with 70% of Americans 65 and older receiving at least one dose of the vaccine and COVID-19 deaths dipping below 1,000 a day on average for the first time since November.

More than 43% of Americans 65 and older, the most vulnerable age group, accounting for an outsize share of the nation’s more than 540,000 coronavirus deaths have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. The number of older adults showing up in emergency rooms with COVID-19 is down significantly. Vaccinations overall have ramped up to 2.5 million to 3 million shots per day. Biden has pushed for states to make all adults eligible to be vaccinated by May 1.

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 1,323 new coronavirus cases along with nine new COVID-19 related deaths. None of the deaths were from the Lakeland viewing area.

On Monday, March 22, Minnesota health officials reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for the first time in nearly a year, and deaths per day in the U.S. from COVID-19 have dropped to an average of 940, down from an all-time high of over 3,400 in mid-January.

The 1,323 new cases came from a total of 25,776 tests for a case positivity rate of 5.1%.

In the Lakeland viewing area, there were 65 new confirmed cases in the following counties:

• Aitkin – 1
• Beltrami – 3
• Crow Wing – 9
• Itasca – 5
• Koochiching – 11
• Mille Lacs – 13
• Morrison – 9
• Polk – 2
• Roseau – 1
• Todd – 6
• Wadena – 5