Blue Earth County resident among 4 COVID-19 deaths

(St. Paul, MN) – A Blue Earth County resident in their 70’s was one of four COVID-19 deaths reported by state health officials Wednesday.

The Minnesota Department of Health reports that three of the four deaths were people in long-term care.  The fourth involved a person at a private residence.  One of the deaths involved a person in their 20’s from Mille Lacs County.

The latest deaths bring Minnesota’s death toll to 1,552, as Governor Tim Walz prepares to announce a statewide mask mandate Wednesday afternoon.

Minnesota also reported 507 new confirmed positive cases of the virus.  Here are the Southern Minnesota counties that have reported new cases:

Blue Earth – 8
Brown – 2
Fillmore – 1
Freeborn – 2
Le Sueur – 2
Lyon – 3
Martin – 1
McLeod – 2
Mower – 1
Murray – 1
Nicollet – 4
Nobles – 2
Rice – 5
Steele – 1
Waseca – 3
Watonwan – 2

Hospitalizations have risen two days in a row.  Tuesday’s report from MDH says there are seven more people hospitalized today than yesterday, for a total of 273, with 119 patients in intensive care.