4 area counties report COVID-19 deaths

(St. Paul, MN) – State health officials reported COVID-19 deaths in four area counties Tuesday, as new virus cases again surpassed 2,000 in a single day.

There were 15 total deaths reported by the Minnesota Department of Health Tuesday.  Those deaths included a person 50 to 54-years-old from Le Sueur County.  A person in their 90’s died in Martin County, and an 80 to 84-year-old died in Nicollet County.   A person in their late 70’s from Renville County also died.  Of the 15 who died, 11 were private residents; 4 were long-term care residents.

Health officials confirmed another 2,178 new positive virus cases in 82 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

Here are the latest cases reported in Southern Minnesota:

Blue Earth – 21
Brown – 9
Cottonwood – 4
Faribault – 4
Fillmore – 3
Freeborn – 6
Jackson – 2
Le Sueur – 14
Lyon – 20
Martin – 2
McLeod – 8
Mower – 6
Murray – 8
Nicollet – 8
Nobles – 32
Redwood – 3
Renville – 2
Rice – 28
Sibley – 6
Steele – 21
Waseca – 8

Minnesota’s hospitalization rate is at 11.4 per 100,000 residents, the highest its been since the start of the pandemic.  MDH reports that 536 people have been admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 in the last seven days, including 106 admitted to intensive care.

To date, Minnesota has seen 137,536 total positive COVID-19 cases, with 122,100 patients no longer needing isolation.  The state’s death toll is at 2,368, with 14 of those deaths classified as probable.