Category Archives: Covid-19

There were virtual gatherings in the Twin Ports, and drive-by and radio broadcast services on the Iron Range.

This year, with loosened restrictions and a surge of vaccinations across Minnesota, Northland churches prepared to observe the holiday (a little more) in person.

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Eastridge Community Church Lead Pastor Tom Asbury talks about the childrens room in the new expansion of the church Thursday, April 1, 2021. The church completed its years-in-the-works renovations on a lobby, coffee area, childrens worship space and additional classrooms before the shutdown last March. This weekend may be the first time many members will see it, he said. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

Returning Eastridge Community Church members may be in for an overdue surprise this weekend.

We were going to open a 4,000-square-foot expansion last Easter, Senior Pastor Tom Asbury said.

The Duluth church completed its years-in-the-works renovations on a lobby, coffee area, childrens worship space and additional classrooms before the shutdown last March, when every church in the country had to adjust its prayer nights, small groups and Sunday sermons due to the pandemic.

When one of your central themes is gathering people into a room, churches have had a really tough go of it, he said.

People havent felt comfortable coming, but as vaccines have rolled out, its been a blessing to see regulars peek their heads back in, Asbury added.

After reopening in June, Eastridge has seen a steady increase of a few hundred in person and online. Today, the services stream on Facebook Live, YouTube, Vimeo and another church platform a shift from one year ago.

We were not livestreaming at all before the pandemic began. It's been an interesting thing to learn, he said.

Eastridge Community Church Lead Pastor Tom Asbury uses the sink in the hallway of the new expansion Thursday, April 1, 2021. Thisll be the first summer where theres not a bulldozer on our property, he said.(Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

Asbury has been at Eastridge for 11 years. In that time, theyve added an office and a day care center.

Were bursting at the seams with children, he said.

Church staff have seen job shifts, but are continuing to prioritize safety and moving the church forward.

It has been a difficult and fruitful year, he said.

For his Sunday sermon, Asburys focusing on restarting.

Its basically what Easters about, but I think we as a people need a chance to start over," he said. "Its been a year and you can hold onto the difficult, and you can hold onto the conflict or the loss, and we get that, but its also a chance for you to say, That happened, and now whats my life going to look like going forward.

MORE NORTHLAND PEOPLE OF FAITH STORIES:

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Father Justin Fish of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cloquet stands at the altar in front of an empty sanctuary March 22, 2020, at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cloquet. Services are canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Clint Austin / 2020 file / News Tribune)

For Easter 2020, Father Justin Fish was in the church by himself, a shift far from custom.

For Catholics, we have a big triduum service. Its Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil on Saturday night and Sunday morning Mass.

Its the most popular time of year, more popular than Christmas for people to participate, he said.

This year, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cloquet will be back to some normalcy with four days of liturgical celebrations culminating with an 8 a.m. Easter Mass at Holy Family Parish.

Having the triduum the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday taken away last year has helped reinforce its importance.

We have so many physical signs and symbols, we have a really bad religion for social distancing," Fish said. "Catholicism is an incarnational theology, so we need to be together. We believe (Jesus) is truly present in the sacrament of the Eucharist."

Catholic Mass is canceled in the area, the result of the pandemic. "The Eucharist of Mass is the center of our faith. Everything we do revolves around that," said Father Justin Fish of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cloquet. Fish blesses the host March 22, 2020. Fish says Mass on his own, and the church is remaining open for prayer and confession. (Clint Austin / 2020 file / News Tribune)

Queen of Peace Catholic Church reopened about two months after the News Tribunes visit in March 2020. To be here when its so quiet is kind of strange, he said at the time.

This week, Fish recalled going to church solo before they were able to open at one-third capacity in June.

The church has seen about 40 in attendance, far from the 250 of its 600 maximum.

The churchs numbers are still down from last year, but have picked up the past few weeks.

We got our shots, so were coming back. Thats been nice to see, Fish said.

And things are moving along.

Its Catholic school was able to open in the fall, and it had a good turnout of students.

Queen of Peace will host a couple of weddings that were postponed to this summer.

And for their first Easter back, Fishs aim will be on the Resurrection, not the pandemic.

We hear enough about that everywhere else. My plan is to focus on why were here together, that Jesus has risen, Fish said. Im more excited this year than maybe the first year I was a priest.

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Northland churches revel in Easter plans a year after COVID-19 pushed holiday online - Duluth News Tribune

TUSCOLA COUNTY, MI -- The Caro Community Schools Board of Education voted at a special Saturday, April 3 meeting to send students back to virtual learning when they return from spring break this week as coronavirus cases are on the rise in the area.

Caro Community Schools will switch to completely virtual instruction Tuesday, April 6, with plans to return to in-person instruction on Monday, April 16, according to a school board letter addressing parents and community members.

Spring break began Friday, March 26 and ends April 6 for Caro students, per the districts calendar.

After looking at the current COVID-19 positivity rates in Tuscola (County) at 27.3%, the number of cases rising dramatically in children under 19 years old, and taking into consideration the probable Spring Break travels and gatherings, the Caro Board of Education feels it is in the best interest, for the health and safety of our students and staff, to move to a temporary virtual learning model for the District, the board letter states.

Related: Sports, spring break & sleepovers: COVID chaos as outbreaks increase in Michigan schools

Students will continue to attend tech classes through the Tuscola Intermediate School District, with transportation provided, per the boards letter. Families can sign up online for Wednesday food distribution.

These are very difficult and challenging times, but as the vaccination effort continues to increase, we are hopeful that the positivity rate will go down, the letter reads. We are asking that you take these days to social distance and practice other mitigating behaviors so every student will be able to return to in-person instruction COVID-19 free.

The school boards letter included section 8405 of the Board Policy Guide, which states:

The Board of Education recognizes its responsibility relative to student, employee and visitor health and safety, and the need for development of comprehensive program design to provide a healthy, safe and secure environment on district property and at district-sponsored activities. To achieve this, it is the intent of the board that the district will avail itself to the most current, proven technologies in the fields of health, safety and environmental sciences.

Read more on MLive:

Michigan coronavirus cases continue to climb, reach 8,413 for Saturday, April 3

Michigan Press Association suspends CMU staffer amid investigation into Lansing PR firm

Bay County Library System goes fine free to eliminate financial barriers for families

New Genesee Health System building combines childrens health programs under one roof

Flint Community Schools receives $170,000 grant from lunch program

Excerpt from:

Caro students returning to virtual learning as COVID-19 cases increase - MLive.com

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of April 3, 2021, there have been 2,482,239 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 143,106 total cases and 2,693 total deaths.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 63-year old male from Fayette County, a 74-year old male from Taylor County, a 45-year old female from Logan County, an 88-year old male from Kanawha County and an 89-year old male from Brooke County.

I believe brighter days are ahead for West Virginia, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. We must continue to work together to prevent further loss of loved ones due to COVID-19.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (1,320), Berkeley (10,860), Boone (1,767), Braxton (842), Brooke (2,073), Cabell (8,450), Calhoun (248), Clay (410), Doddridge (517), Fayette (3,064), Gilmer (731), Grant (1,185), Greenbrier (2,526), Hampshire (1,637), Hancock (2,638), Hardy (1,399), Harrison (5,190), Jackson (1,803), Jefferson (4,107), Kanawha (13,298), Lewis (1,110), Lincoln (1,367), Logan (2,952), Marion (3,964), Marshall (3,189), Mason (1,886), McDowell (1,424), Mercer (4,415), Mineral (2,664), Mingo (2,325), Monongalia (8,697), Monroe (1,027), Morgan (1,034), Nicholas (1,397), Ohio (3,885), Pendleton (671), Pleasants (820), Pocahontas (621), Preston (2,734), Putnam (4,605), Raleigh (5,665), Randolph (2,468), Ritchie (643), Roane (539), Summers (733), Taylor (1,158), Tucker (519), Tyler (657), Upshur (1,792), Wayne (2,767), Webster (450), Wetzel (1,187), Wirt (370), Wood (7,469), Wyoming (1,837).

Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested.

Free COVID-19 testing is available today in Jefferson, Lewis, Putnam and Raleigh counties.

April 3

Jefferson County

10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV

10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Shepherd University Wellness Center Parking Lot, 164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV

Lewis County

10:00 AM 5:00 PM, Stonewall Jackson Home Oxygen Therapy, 456 Market Place, Suite A, Weston, WV

Putnam County

9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Liberty Square, 613 Putnam Village, Hurricane, WV

Raleigh County

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COVID-19 Daily Update 4-3-2021 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Based on the latest data from Gov. Cuomo's office, the Western New York region continues to see an increase in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19.

BUFFALO, N.Y. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office released the latest COVID-19 data for the state Sunday morning.

Based on the latest data, the Western New York region continues to see an increase in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19. As of Saturday, 233 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Western New York region; an increase of three from the day prior. The number of people hospitalized in the region equates to .02 percent of the region's population.

At this time, 36 percent of hospital beds would be available in the region within seven days under a "surge plan."

The region's seven-day average percentage of positive test results also increased Saturday. The percent positive rate increased from 4.03 percent on Friday to 4.44 percent on Saturday. On Saturday, the Western New York region had the second highest percent positive rate in the state behind the Mid-Hudson region.

The Western New York region includes Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties.

Statewide, 225,411 total tests were reported to New York State on Saturday. Of those tests, 7,467 came back positive for a percent positive rate of 3.31 percent. Currently, the statewide seven-day average percent positive rate is a little higher at 3.56 percent.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across New York State decreased Saturday, to 4,373. That number is down 118 from the day prior. Of those hospitalized, 882 were in the ICU, and 562 of which required intubation.

The state reports that 59 New Yorkers died from the virus on Saturday, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in New York State to 40,756.

"New York was hit earliest and hardest by the pandemic, and the people of this state got through it by being smart and following the facts and the science," Governor Cuomo said. "With the new variants, we know there is more work to do to keep everyone safe: wear masks, socially distance and follow the health guidelines. In the meantime we are vaccinating as many people as possible and doing it equitably, which will go a long way toward keeping New Yorkers safe. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Let's continue being smart so we get there together."

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COVID-19 hospitalizations, percent positive rate increase Saturday in WNY region - WGRZ.com

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Hunt Club Farms in Virginia Beach hosted their annual Easter Spring Fling event over the weekend.

At a time when many are wary of going out for big events, the location owner says theyve taken every precaution to keep folks safe and socially distanced.

Its just a great day for families to get outside and enjoy the farm, said owner Randi Vogel.

For example, on site you could see signs everywhere and employees around to enforce the CDC guidelines.

There were also marked lines and sanitizer stations at every corner.

Outside of their regular activities, they had Easter egg hunts set up for different age groups.

Although it looked different this year, the Easter bunny was available to take pictures with guests.

For our easter bunny we installed two things of plexiglass so families can take pictures and interact with the bunny but keep apart from the bunny so there was no transmission, said Vogel.

Vogel says the event was refreshing because the last year has been rough due to lower attendance and staffing issues.

We had to quarantine people because of covid, we lost our whole staff but we adjusted people can work from home. Gosh, I think weve bought 10 thousand masks, she stated.

Starting Monday, she says they will open during the weekday and the future is looking bright.

I just think that things are going to be okay, I really think things are going to be okay, Vogel smiled.

Stay with WAVY.com for more local news updates.

Read more here:

Hunt Club Farms hosts their Easter Spring Fling with COVID-19 precautions - WAVY.com

Health officials warn the age of those hardest hit by COVID-19 is beginning to shift lower, to a younger demographic

CHARLOTTE, N.C. The pandemic has hit seniors in our communities hardest; they've been the most vulnerable so far to COVID-19. But health officials are now sounding the alarm on a new trend: the ages of those hit hardest by the pandemic are shifting to younger people.

Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said the disturbing shift comes after weeks of declines.

"There are a lot of infections happening right now," he said, noting that COVID-19 cases across the country are starting to rise.

It's not as high as the winter surge, which saw more than 300,000 new cases each day, but right now the average is at just over 60,000 cases per day. The shift to younger people getting the virus more commonly now is happening on a wider scale as well.

Part of the worry also involves a potential explosion of cases as more people travel to destinations like Florida for spring break trips, a state that has the nation's highest count of new virus variants.

"We do see that the average age of hospitalizations has shifted to a younger demographic, and that's national," NBC News Medical Contributor Dr. Kavita Patel said.

This makes efforts to roll out more vaccines crucial.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says the push to get more shots into more arms is his top priority; about 29% of the state's populationis at least partially vaccinated.

"We're going to do everything we can to reach every single person," Cooper said. "For the protection of their family, their friends, and everybody, that everybody needs to step up and get a vaccine."

Commissioner Stacey Phillips announced the vaccination process is about to get easier in Huntersville; a vaccine clinic will be held on Wednesday, April 7, at the Waymer Center to get more shots to those who haven't been able to get one.

To help boost vaccination rates, Facebook has also joined in on the push, rolling out a new vaccine profile frame for users to show support for vaccination on the social network.

Soon, a summary of friends using the frame will also show up on newsfeeds for everyone.

Efforts like this are aimed at combating an issue Cooper says has hindered vaccine response: disinformation.

"With all of this disinformation about vaccines out there, we really need to work hard now as we're turning the corner of the pandemic," he said.

Have a relative or friend in another state and want to know when they can get vaccinated? VisitNBC News' Plan Your Vaccine siteto find out about each state's vaccine rollout plan.

See the original post:

Experts say most new COVID-19 cases affecting young people more - WCNC.com

The "double mutant" variant could be more infectious and make vaccines less effective, although that's still being studied.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie. A "double mutant" COVID-19 variant first discovered in India has made its way to the United States with 15 documented cases.

We've heard of the UK and South African coronavirus variants. Now, there's a new, potentially more contagious one.

The Indian Health Ministry has termed this mutation they found, this variant they found double mutant, Dr. Mohammed Reza said.

Dr. Mohammed Reza is an infectious disease specialist and said most variants have mutations, up to a dozen of them. What makes this new variant more concerning is the mutations are on the part of the virus that attach to cells, possibly making it easier for the virus to latch on.

We dont know how these two mutations occurred in the same virus," Reza said. "It could be one person was infected with two different variants at the same time, and their offspring could have this mutant.

Reza says this could make the "double mutant" variant more infectious and vaccines less effective, although that is still being studied.

The variants are causing these antibodies not to work as well," Reza said. These antibodies can be produced through vaccines or we can give them to people as more of a treatment, so thats where the concern is.

You can take steps to protect yourself from this and other variants. Dr. Reza encourages you to wear your mask, social distance, get a vaccine, and continue to wash your hands.

See more here:

'Double mutant' COVID-19 variant first discovered in India now found in the U.S. - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

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Registerd nurse Sarah Dent, left, administers a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to Alex Turkopp during a clinic Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at Knight Club in Marysville.(Photo: Brian Wells/Times Herald)

Sarah Dent said volunteering for St. Clair Countys growing COVID-19 vaccine effort was her best chance to contribute to the cause in her own community.

Normally a nurse at the Jerry Orthopedic Institute in Port Huron, Dent was one of a couple of volunteers on the floor of an emptied Marysville banquet hall last Wednesday for a clinic thatwas aimed to accommodate 3,000 vaccine recipients.

The county health department has been advertising its need for volunteer vaccinators like Dentamid the ongoing spike in the transmission of the virus.

The majority of people that are coming in are excited about it and thankful. Weve been thanked so much for being here and helping, which really makes it that much more worth it, said Dent, who was fully vaccinated on March 10.

Were only so much of a percentage vaccinated in the county, and our numbers are going up, she said. So, us getting the word out that getting these can help prevent the spread and future issues because there are a lot, a lot of long-term neurological deficits that happen from contracting COVID that many people dont know about yet. So, getting it is very important.

Health educator and health department spokeswoman Alyse Nichols said there were about 30 vaccinators overall on the floor of the Marysville clinic.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, the countys medical health officer, said the need for nurse vaccinators depended on the size of the clinic and the number of clinics held each week.

Currently, there are approximately 10 volunteer vaccinators who regularly work our clinics and another 10 who work intermittently when their schedules allow. Many have limited availability as they are also working professionals, she said in an email. Ultimately, we are trying to build a solid pool of nurse vaccinators to pull from and encourage anyone interested in registering.

In addition to making sure clinics had an ample supply of nursing volunteers, Mark White, the countys deputy director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said they were also looking for people to help in support positions to help people navigate the vaccine process.

We need everybody. But having somebody be a vaccinator, thats a very specific skill. And during this time, its not just St. Clair County, everybody needs vaccinators? They are in hot supply, Nichols said. If people are interested, please go on (online) and volunteer.

The county was encouraging all prospective volunteers to sign up at mivolunteerregistry.org. Other duties included temperature screenings, registration, and line management.

Team Rubicon volunteer Joey Munoz, of Emmett, directs incoming vehicles at the St. Clair Health Department's COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Marysville.(Photo: Jackie Smith/Times Herald)

Another team of volunteers through the nonprofit Team Rubicon was helping outside the clinic last Wednesday.

Were kind of building the playbook as we go along, said Rubicon volunteer Joey Munoz, who lives in Emmett. This is new to us, so were filling in the gaps. Like for here, what were doing is traffic control and patient transportation to get them in the door a little quicker.

Munoz said the nonprofits volunteers are typically asked to come in and assist by local emergency managers. Compromised of military veterans, first responders and civilians, the group typically responds to a broad spectrum of disasters or emergencies like hurricanes or floods

I want to get back to normal life, Munoz said, and this is a way.

Contact Jackie Smith at jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

Read or Share this story: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2021/04/04/st-clair-county-looking-covid-19-vaccine-clinic-volunteers/7064473002/

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St. Clair County in need of volunteer vaccinators for COVID-19 clinics - The Times Herald

The latest developments on COVID-19 spread and vaccine progress in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

ST PAUL, Minn. Sunday, April 4

In observance of the Easter and Passover holidays, MDH said it is not reporting new COVID-19 data on Sunday. Updates will resume Monday, April 5.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 2,075 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, along with 11 new deaths.

MDH's COVID-19 case definition includes both antigen testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases, while positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.

Saturday's new case total includes 1,801 confirmed cases and 274 probable cases.

As for the state's vaccination effort, MDH reported Saturday that 1,770,231 people in Minnesota have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That's about 40.1% of the population. Of that group, 1,129,858 are fully vaccinated -- about 25.6% of the population.

The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 526,267, with 30,847 of those as antigen test results.

MDH says 11 new deaths from the virus were reported. The total number of fatalities in Minnesota is 6,875.

To date, 27,553 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 5,660 of them needing care in the ICU.

MDH reports that 503,024 people once diagnosed with the virus have passed the point where they are required to isolate.

Of those who have tested positive, people between the ages of 20-24 account for the most cases with 51,679 cases and four deaths, and ages 25-29 follow with 46,912 cases and six deaths. Those between 85 and 89 years old account for the highest number of fatalities in one age group with 1,292 out of 6,498 diagnosed cases.

In terms of likely exposure to the coronavirus, MDH says 120,004cases were the result of community transmission with no known contact with an infected person, and 109,663 had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case.

A total of 40,565 cases involved exposure in a congregate care setting,8,320 were in a corrections setting, and 1,219 were in a homeless shelter. MDH data shows 20,326 were linked to an outbreak outside of congregate living or health care.

MDH says 36,700 cases were linked to travel. Health care workers or patients account for 15,377 diagnosed COVID-19 cases. The source of transmission for 174,093 cases is still unknown or missing.

MDH has prioritized testing for people in congregate care, hospitalized patients and health care workers, which may impact the scale of those numbers. However, now MDH is urging anyone who is symptomatic or even asymptomatic to be tested. Testing locations can be found online.

Hennepin County has had the most COVID activity in the state with 109,503 cases and 1,652 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 45,574 cases and 841 deaths, Dakota County with 39,955 cases and 409 deaths, and Anoka County with 36,046 cases and 409 deaths.

Full data, including a breakdown of PCR and antigen test totals in some categories, can be found on MDH's website.

New cases of COVID-19 continue to trend upwards, with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recording 2,553 new infections in the last day. That's up from the 2,140 reported Thursday, and in recent days health officials have expressed concern about cases rising above the 1,500 mark.

Top health officials have attributed the jump in cases to new variants of the virus that have come to Minnesota, particularly the B.1.1.7.

"We are deeply concerned about the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations that are occurring. The accelerating trends are on par with what we saw just before the big surge in the fall. The difference now is that we are making daily progress with vaccines to help us fight a surge. Each vaccination gets us one step closer to ending this pandemic and we're making great progress every day. While 25% of all Minnesotans are now fully vaccinated, there is still a ways to go. That's why it is so important for all of us to keep doing those things that make a big difference: wear masks, keep social distancing, avoid large gatherings, adhere to other restrictions that are still in place, get tested, stay home if you're ill or test positive, and roll up your sleeve and get vaccinated as soon as you can," said MDH Infectious Diseases Director Kris Ehresmann.

Friday's new cases are the highest number reported since Jan. 4, when 3,148 were documented. The new cases are based on results from 50,517 tests (41,246 PCR, 9,271 antigen) processed in private and state labs. That is a fairly high testing volume.

Health experts consider a positive PCR test a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is considered probable.

On Thursday's MDH media briefing, Ehresmann told reporters that case positivity rate has risen to 5.4%, putting it in the "caution" category.

The rising rate of current hospitalizations has also been mentioned as a concern by MDH in recent days. As of Thursday, 439 people were being treated for COVID in hospitals across the state, 112 of them in ICU. Bed availability across the Twin Cities is down for both ICU and non-ICU spots, with just 2.5% of non-ICU beds open for patients (94 beds). The number of ICU beds open are listed at just 34 (4.9% open).

Total hospitalizations are up to 27,476 since the start of the pandemic, with 5,651 requiring ICU care.

Four more Minnesotans died from coronavirus, bringing total deaths to 6,864.

The latest data available on the state vaccine dashboard shows Wednesday was a busy day for vaccinations, with 52,167 doses being administered to Minnesotans. That helped bring the number of state residents who have received at least one immunization to 1,720,811, an even 39% of the state's 5.6 million residents. The number of people considered fully immunized (having completed the two-shot series) is up to 1,088,327, 24.7% of Minnesota's population.

Young adults ages 20 to 24 remain the most active group when it comes to COVID infections, with 51,497 cases and four fatalities. The group most impacted by COVID deaths is those between 85 and 89, with 1,291 deaths in 6,494 diagnosed cases.

Hennepin County, the most populous county in the state, reports the most COVID activity with 109,060 cases and 1,648 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 45,433 cases and 841 deaths, Dakota County with 39,789 cases and 409 deaths, and Anoka County with 35,883 and 407 fatalities.

Due to improving overall COVID infection numbers at long-term care facilities, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is upgrading guidance to allow residents and their families more freedom in open dining and activities.

MDH Infectious Diseases Director Kris Ehresmann says people at assisted living-type facilities who are fully vaccinated can now dine and take part in activities like cards and socializing at distances less than 6 feet if fully masked.

She said MDH made the change due to lower numbers of COVID-19 cases in assisted living facilities, and higher vaccination rates of residents.

Ehresmann also discussed revised CDC recommendations that now allow residents of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities to leave for trips or visits of less than 24-hours, regardless of vaccination status, without quarantining when they return.

For more on the new guidance visit the MDH website.

Ehresmann did express concern at the rising number of cases reported Thursday (2,140) and a case positivity rate of 5.4, which is in the caution range.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield told reporters that the state is continuing to see the spread of variant COVID strains, especially the B.1.1.7 virus, which is thought to have started in the United Kingdom. She says this variant is thought to be 50% more contagious, and in the U.K has shown to have a 64% higher death rate for those who contract it.

Lynfield said strains other than B.1.1.7 seem to not respond to conventional treatments and therapies, and antibodies from people who have had the virus may not neutralize those variants.

For the first time since Jan. 10, new daily COVID-19 cases passed the 2,000 mark. On Thursday, MDH reported 2,140 new cases Thursday along with 12 new deaths.

The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 521,667, with the total number of deaths now at 6,860.

To date, 27,404 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 5,635 of them needing care in the ICU.

Of those who have tested positive, people between the ages of 20-24 account for the most cases with 51,252 cases and four deaths, and ages 25-29 follow with 46,478 cases and six deaths. Those between 85 and 89 years old account for the highest number of fatalities in one age group with 1,290 out of 6,486 diagnosed cases.

Hennepin County has had the most COVID activity in the state with 108,453 cases and 1,647 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 45,298 cases and 841 deaths, Anoka County with 35,666 cases and 407 deaths, and Dakota County with 39,508 cases and 409 deaths.

According to the most recent statewide data from March 30, so far 1,682,545 Minnesotans have received at least one dose of a vaccine, about 38.1% of the population. In Minnesota, 1,057,848 people have completed their vaccine series.

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Live updates: More than 40% of Minnesota's population at least partially vaccinated - KARE11.com

(This March 30 story corrects last paragraph to show the paper has been peer reviewed)

FILE PHOTO: The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is seen in an illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. January 29, 2020. Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM/CDC/Handout via REUTERS./File Photo

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A critical component of the immune system known as T cells that respond to fight infection from the original version of the novel coronavirus appear to also protect against three of the most concerning new virus variants, according to a U.S. laboratory study released on Tuesday.

Several recent studies have shown that certain variants of the novel coronavirus can undermine immune protection from antibodies and vaccines.

But antibodies - which block the coronavirus from attaching to human cells - may not tell the whole story, according to the study by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). T cells appear to play an important additionally protective role.

Our data, as well as the results from other groups, shows that the T cell response to COVID-19 in individuals infected with the initial viral variants appears to fully recognize the major new variants identified in the UK, South Africa and Brazil, said Andrew Redd of the NIAID and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who led the study.

The researchers analyzed blood from 30 people who had recovered from COVID-19 before the emergence of the new more contagious variants.

From those samples, they identified a specific form of T cell that was active against the virus, and looked to see how these T cells fared against the concerning variants from South Africa, the UK and Brazil.

They found the T-cell responses remained largely intact and could recognize virtually all mutations in the variants studied.

The findings add to a prior study that also suggested T cell protection appears to remain intact against the variants.

The NIAID researchers said larger studies are needed to confirm the findings. Continued monitoring for variants that escape both antibody and T cell protection is needed, Redd said.

The paper has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Bill Berkrot

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T cells induced by COVID-19 infection respond to new virus variants -U.S. study - Reuters