Coronavirus In Minnesota: MDH Reports Nearly 4,000 New COVID-19 Cases, 19 More Deaths
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As Gov. Tim Walz warns that Minnesota is entering a "dangerous phase" of the pandemic, state health officials on Monday are reporting 3,930 new COVID-19 cases and 19 more deaths.
The update from the Minnesota Department of Health comes one day after the state broke its record for daily COVID-19 cases with nearly 6,000 reported.
Monday's addition to cases brings the state's total to 184,788, with 16,212 of those cases being among health care workers. Nearly 150,000 people who have contracted the virus no longer need to quarantine.
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Fourteen of the 19 additional deaths involved a patient at a long-term care facility. The state's death toll now sits at 2,675 (1,850 in long-term care).
In hospitals, 11,671 patients have needed treatment for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with 2,948 of those needing intensive care units. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been increasing since late September, with about 1,038 people being treated for COVID-19 at hospitals in Minnesota as of Nov. 5.
In the last 24 hours, 26,004 tests were completed, with 791 of those being antigen tests. Now, over 2 million people in Minnesota have been tested for COVID-19.
The state's testing capacity -- a key part in the fight against COVID-19 -- has been expanding, most notably with a new saliva testing site opening at the Minneapolis Convention Center Monday. Another saliva testing site is set to open at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport later this week.
"The rate of case growth we are seeing is very concerning. Ultimately, our goal is to get out there, do as much testing as we can—with case investigation, contact tracing, and the necessary isolation—to stop this disease from spreading," Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said. "Growing and diversifying our testing options in combination with all Minnesotans doing their part to practice social distancing, wear masks, wash their hands, avoid large gatherings, and stay home when sick is what will help us turn things around in our state."
According to the state's Dial Back Dashboard, the state's seven-day rolling average positivity rate is at 10% as of Oct. 28, due to data lag. That compares to 5% in early October. It's one of the health indicators being used to inform the state's safety restrictions during COVID-19.
