New #COVID19 cases are up a little bit, but controlling for testing volume, positivity rate in MN is actually trending down. Yes, case counts are way up — but so is testing, which explains a LOT of it.
The testing increase in MN is real and notable. In late April, MN began a sustained rise in testing from an average of about 1,500 per day to nearly 15,000/day by July 4. But then growth slowed a ton, and stayed slow for months.
The last few weeks have finally seen more growth:
New hospitalization rates remain their highest in months, a sign that MN is seeing a real growth of its outbreak, even if not as dramatic as case #s & positivity seem (ignore the little drops at the end of the line — those are data artifacts from reporting delays):
All parts of rural Minnesota are now reporting higher case growth rates than the Twin Cities metro:
The lack of increase in cases among Minnesotans under 20 remains remarkable:
Two days of relatively reported high death counts have pushed the trend line up. Still, despite a few spikes in recent months, the 7-day average of new daily deaths hasn’t risen about 10 since June.
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