Northeastern Minnesota tallies largest vaccination growth yet

Feb. 28—The state of Minnesota reported Saturday that another 4,358 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to Northeastern Minnesota residents.

That's the most new vaccinations the region has logged in a single day. Prior to Saturday, the most new vaccinations was 4,289 reported Feb. 6. Across the seven counties of Northeastern Minnesota, 21% of the population has now received at least one dose with Cook County leading the way at 41% of people vaccinated.

Of those age 65 and older in the region, more than 53% have received at least one dose.

Wisconsin's Douglas, Bayfield and Ashland counties collectively recorded 712 new vaccinations on Saturday, bringing that region's total now to more than 13,000. Roughly 46% of those people have also received their second dose.

Another 42 Northland residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died from the illness and its complications.

The states of Minnesota and Wisconsin each reported 13 deaths on Saturday. A Carlton County resident in their late 80s was the only one of those persons who lived in the 10-county region of the Northland.

Carlton County has now lost 48 lives to COVID-19.

New cases and seven-day averages in Northland counties:

— Aitkin — 1; 3.1.

— Carlton — 5; 3.

— Cook — 0; 0.

— Itasca — 3; 9.6.

— Koochiching — 0; 0.1.

— Lake — 0; 2.4.

— St. Louis — 29; 20.9.

— Ashland — 0; 0.6.

— Bayfield — 0; 0.3.

— Douglas — 4; 4.

The new cases were among 826 in Minnesota and 689 in Wisconsin.