ST. PAUL  — Minnesota’s health insurance exchange says it has signed up more than 108,000 residents in health plans.

Open enrollment in Minnesota continues through January 14. But Wednesday’s deadline for coverage effective in the new year helped MNsure hit a new high watermark for registrations.

MNsure chief executive Allison O’Toole said Thursday that their 108,500-plus registrations in private plans are 12.5 percent higher than the same time last year. O’Toole said Wednesday’s deadline fueled massive traffic to the site with more than 64,000 visits.

The surge in signups comes amid concern nationwide about this year’s open enrollment. President Donald Trump’s administration slashed outreach and advertising for this year’s open enrollment, which ended Dec. 15.