24 new COVID-19 cases in Blue Earth County; another death in Rice County

(Mankato, MN) – There are 24 new COVID-19 cases in Blue Earth County and another death in Rice County, according to the lastest coronavirus data released by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Tuesday’s update shows 444 new lab-confirmed virus cases in the state, for a total of 36,303 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19.   Of the latest cases, 24 came from Blue Earth County,  Over half of the county’s 403 cases are people in their 20’s.  There have been two COVID-19 deaths in Blue Earth County to date.

Six new deaths were reported by MDH Tuesday.  Rice County recorded its third death in the past two days after a person in their 60’s succumbed to the virus.  Half of the latest deaths came from private residences.  Minnesota’s death toll now stands at 1,441.

Here are the southern Minnesota counties that report new COVID-19 cases today:

Blue Earth – 24
Brown – 3
Cottonwood – 1
Freeborn – 1
Le Sueur – 3
Mower – 9
Murray – 1
Nicollet – 8
Nobles – 1
Rice – 6
Sibley – 2
Steele – 1
Watonwan – 3

Hospitalizations keep trending downward.  There are eight fewer people hospitalized today than yesterday, with 270 patients in the hospital, 136 in intensive care.