Minnesota on Thursday reported 2,071 coronavirus infections linked to pre-K-12 school buildings in the week ending Sept. 18, an increase from 977 the previous week and the first weekly count above 2,000 in the pandemic.
The surge comes as some schools finalize COVID-19 response plans ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline for federal American Rescue Plan funds, while others change their plans in response to coronavirus infections in their buildings and communities. While an increase after the start of classes isn’t surprising, the total more than doubles last fall’s pace — at a time when COVID-19 vaccine wasn’t available for people 12 and older, according to weekly data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Whether the increase in school outbreaks reflects the peak of the latest pandemic wave is unclear. Key models by Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict level or slight growth in infections by mid-October. Minnesota on Thursday reported a 6.7% positivity rate of diagnostic testing, below a high last week of 7.1% but above the state caution threshold for substantial viral spread.
Children are at substantially lower risks of severe COVID-19, but health officials are concerned that they can spread the coronavirus to vulnerable people who are older or have chronic health conditions. Children aren’t immune either. Federal hospital data showed that 57 children with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 were newly admitted to Minnesota hospitals in the seven-day period ending Tuesday — one of the highest one-week totals since December.
The total number of inpatient beds filled with COVID-19 patients in Minnesota dropped from 801 on Tuesday to 789 on Wednesday, according to the state’s pandemic response webpage, but remains at near-record levels for 2021. The state on Thursday also reported 2,874 more coronavirus infections and 13 COVID-19 deaths, raising totals in the pandemic to 711,094 infections and 8,153 deaths.
Ten of the 13 COVID-19 deaths reported Thursday involved seniors. Only three pediatric COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Minnesota over the 19-month pandemic.
School-linked COVID-19 cases involve students or staff members who could have been exposed to the virus anywhere, but spent time in their school buildings while infectious. Routine testing could be contributing to the higher numbers and the identification of some milder or asymptomatic cases. Roughly 30% of Minnesota’s 2,500 school buildings have ordered test kits from the state.
Minnesota has reported a total of 31,470 infections associated with pre-K-12 schools, which provide education to more than 900,000 students each year and employ more than 140,000 workers.
The number of school buildings with COVID-19 outbreaks increased to 233. Outbreaks are defined as at least five people who tested positive in a two-week period and were in their school buildings while infectious. The definition is a sore point for some large school leaders, because five cases is small in a student body of 1,000 or more, but it nonetheless shows the continued spread of the coronavirus. Only 96 outbreaks were reported last week.
Schools are removed from the state list after having no new coronavirus infections over four weeks, meaning that some of the listed schools had previous outbreaks but are no longer showing viral activity.
While more than 72% of Minnesotans 12 and older have received at least first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to state data that excludes some federal site vaccinations, that rate declines with age. First-dose rates are less than 60% in the 12 to 17 age range, which is eligible for the two-dose Pfizer version of COVID-19 vaccine. Federal recommendations making COVID-19 vaccines available to younger children are expected later this fall.
Minnesota on Thursday reported 147 infections in the week ending Sept. 18 that were associated with colleges and institutions of higher learning, many of which have vaccine or routine testing mandates in effect for students. The state also reported an additional 879 infections linked to pre-K-12 schools in the week ending Sept. 25, but that is a preliminary total that will increase with next week’s report.
Jeremy Olson • 612-673-7744