Minnesotans Urged To Get Tested As Coronavirus Variant Spreads

MINNESOTA — Health officials on Monday urged every Minnesotan to get tested for the coronavirus in an effort to wipe out a highly contagious variant that was found in Carver County in January.

Since it was identified, the variant first detected in the U.S. led to a case growth rate of nearly 80 percent between February and March in Carver County, Minnesota Department of Health Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff said in a news conference Monday.

Health department research indicates the variant could be up to 50 percent more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus.

The variant has also been associated with more-severe COVID-19 symptoms. Of 12 people hospitalized with the variant in Minnesota, two were placed in intensive care before dying, officials said.

As it stands, of the 140 people tested in connection with the Carver County cluster, 32 people were confirmed to have the UK variant. Results are pending for another 67 tests and 41 of the tests were inconclusive for a variant, Huff said.

"It has the potential to be a setback to our continued and hard-fought progress against the virus," Huff said.

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Many of the cases in the cluster were connected to youth sports and recreation events, Huff said. Tracing showed the virus then spread from student-athletes to the broader community through fitness centers and gyms, schools, local businesses and at least one child care facility.

In addition to encouraging Carver County officials to put a two-week pause to youth sports and other gatherings, state health officials are urging every resident to get tested for the coronavirus.

Huff said student athletes should be tested weekly and non-athlete students should be tested biweekly.

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"From now through the end of the year, we need all young people and children who are interacting outside of the household to seek out regular testing," Huff said. "We realize how much progress we’ve made, but this thing’s not over. We need everyone to keep following mitigation measures we’ve relied on."

A pop-up coronavirus testing event will continue from Thursday to Saturday at the Chanhassen Recreation Center in Carver County. Tests will be offered from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The testing center, staffed by the Minnesota National Guard, is open to everyone regardless of COVID-19 symptoms.

Another 829 cases of the coronavirus were reported across Minnesota on Monday, bringing the state's total case count to 498,218. Another death was also reported. To date, the virus has claimed the lives of 6,747 Minnesotans.

Officials said cases have grown by 1.6 percent compared with the week prior, but the state's overall positivity rate remains at 3.6 percent, still below concerning numbers.

Hospitalization also grew week to week, officials said. As of Monday, 260 people were hospitalized in Minnesota with COVID-19. Of those, 59 were in intensive care.

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"We have seen an increase in hospitalizations," Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said. "We just need to keep attending to those basic prevention steps we know are so critical for helping control the spread of the virus."

The state has given out nearly 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, Malcolm said. Some 1.26 million Minnesotans have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and 725,000 have been completely vaccinated against the virus.

The health department on Monday also announced it is releasing a tool to connect Minnesota companies and their employees with vaccination opportunities. The tool also allows some qualifying companies to sign up for on-site vaccination events.