Minnesota Logs 5,600 Breakthrough COVID Cases, 57 Deaths

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has seen at least 5,599 breakthrough cases of COVID-19 and at least 57 deaths among fully vaccinated people, health officials reported Tuesday.

The Minnesota Department of Health said it will begin reporting breakthrough case figures weekly as cases of the highly infectious delta variant surge across the state and country. But the department cautioned that the numbers will lag because of reporting delays.

The department also said there have been 514 breakthrough cases resulting in hospitalizations.

Health officials say COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and only a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated will still get the disease if they are exposed to the coronavirus. They say that’s normal with any vaccine.

The state’s total number of breakthrough cases represented only about 0.2% of the population of fully vaccinated Minnesotans, while the number of deaths was just 0.002% of the fully vaccinated population.

More than 3 million Minnesotans have completed the vaccine series, or about two-thirds of the population 16 and older. The state has recorded over 620,000 cases and 7,700 deaths.