4 new COVID-19 cases in Blue Earth County, Freeborn County adds 3

(St. Paul, MN) – Four more people have tested positive to COVID-19 in Blue Earth County, as hospitalizations and deaths statewide continue to grow.

New data released Saturday by the Minnesota Department of Health says two more patients have died, pushing the death count to 24.  Statewide case totals continue the upward trend, increasing by 76 since the previous report, a total of 865 positive cases.

Patients testing positive range from 4 months old to 104 years old, while fatalities have occurred in people 58 to 100 years old.

There are 95 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19, compared to 30 people one week ago, on March 28.  Of those hospitalized today, 42 are in intensive care.

Several southern Minnesota counties besides Blue Earth have added to their positive case total since Friday.   Freeborn County is reporting three new cases of the virus, and now has ten cases total.

Le Sueur, Brown, and Nicollet counties each reported one new case of the virus, bring totals to 20, 3, and 4, respectively.

Mower County is now at 17 cases after two more people tested positive for the virus.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there are 277,205 confirmed positive cases of the disease in the United States,.  The CDC reports a total of 6,593 people have died from the disease since January 21, 2020.