Sewage sampling this week at the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Paul found a 16% decline in levels of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
The decline in viral load coincides with reductions in coronavirus infections in Minnesota and counties designated at high COVID-19 risk levels by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Five counties are now listed at high risk, down from 10 last week.
Mask-wearing in indoor public places is recommended in Nicollet, Kanabec, Olmsted, Winona and Houston counties because of these risk designations, which are based on local COVID-19 case and hospitalization numbers. The seven-county Twin Cities metro area is listed at moderate risk.
Gov. Tim Walz still urged people to seek testing if they experience any COVID-like symptoms and to limit the spread of the virus, which remains threatening to the elderly and others with elevated risks.
Minnesota on Friday reported another 12 COVID-19 deaths — 11 involved seniors who have made up 80% of the state's total of 12,713 deaths in the pandemic.
"We are still in a moderate to high risk even this far into summer. So, if you're feeling those symptoms, test as you can," Walz said Thursday while visiting the state's Brooklyn Park testing site that provides rapid access to antiviral pills for vulnerable people who test positive.
Concerning BA.4 and BA.5 coronavirus subvariants made up 32% of the viral material found in Twin Cities' wastewater samples from May 31 through Monday — an increase from 23% a week earlier. However, the fast-spreading variants are making up more of a shrinking pie. The amount of viral material reported by the Metropolitan Council is at its lowest since late April.
The Twin Cities results match with broader sewage sampling at 40 plants across Minnesota that cover 67% of the state's population. Viral levels through Sunday had leveled off or declined in all seven wastewater monitoring regions of the state.
