Coronavirus (MN): 847 New COVID-19 Cases Reported, 10 More People Died
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Department of Health reported 847 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Minnesota on Saturday; and 10 more people have died due to complications caused by the disease.
Labs completed 8,522 COVID-19 tests in the past day -- and about 10% of them returned positive.
These new numbers increase the state's total case count to 19,845, and our death toll has risen to 852.
Of the total infected, 568 are currently in the hospital, and 215 are in an intensive care units. Meanwhile, 13,485 people have recovered from the illness and no longer need isolation.
Long term care facilities, including nursing homes, continue to absorb the brunt of COVID-19's onslaught. As of Saturday, 697 of the state's 852 deaths have been among these populations.
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On Friday, Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force named Minnesota as a top state that still has "significant virus" in circulation. She says Minneapolis in particular has the fourth highest positivity rate in a metro area, behind Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago respectively.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently chose to reopen retail stores and allow restaurants, bars and salons to reopen on June 1, under certain restrictions.
However, restrictions remain in place for fitness centers and places of worship.
On Friday, President Trump labeled churches and other houses of worship as "essential." He is calling on governors nationwide to allow them to reopen this weekend -- or threatening to override the governors' authority to do so himself.