COVID-19 hospitalizations 64% down from April peak

Earlier today, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 134 new positive COVID-19 cases and one death. This is 92 percent lower than the number of new cases reported in May and also the lowest ever recorded. Generally, cases have been going down in the state. In fact, new positive cases have remained below 600 for a little over a week in Minnesota.

Hospitalizations have followed the same trend. After slightly peaking in April, hospitalizations in both ICU and non-ICU have trended down and are below 300 as of the latest update. As of May 30, Minnesota had a total of 249 COVID-19 hospitalizations — 79 ICU, 170 non-ICU.

Figure 1: COVID-19 hospitalizations since April 1st

Source: Minnesota Department of Health

At the national level, COVID-19 trends have also been largely positive, possibly a signal that the country could be nearing the end of the crisis. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven-day moving average numbers have dropped 76 percent for cases and 42 percent for deaths since the April peak.

Increased vaccination rates are probably the biggest contributor to this trend. At both the national and state levels, more than 60 percent of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.