Brown County surpasses 20 COVID deaths; person in their 20’s dies in Rice County

Two more COVID-19 deaths in Brown County pushed the death toll to 21 in the county, as Minnesota health officials reported another 89 total deaths.

Both of the individuals who died in Brown County were in their late 80’s, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.  Blue Earth County reported one death, the second in as many days, and the twenty-first in the county.  In Freeborn County, a person 90 to 94-years-old died of the virus, according to the latest data.  A death in Rice County involved a person 20 to 24-years-old, bringing the county death toll to 42.  Two deaths were reported in Lyon County Thursday; one death in Steele County.

There have been 4,198 deaths in Minnesota since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations are down, according to MDH, with 1,542 patients hospitalized for COVID Thursday, compared to 1,555 the previous day.  Intensive care hospitalizations are also down slightly, from 358 to 352.

The number of new infections also declined in comparison to Wednesday’s report, with 3,523 newly confirmed virus cases.

Here are the Southern Minnesota counties reporting new cases:

Blue Earth – 33
Brown – 26 (4 probable)
Cottonwood – 15 (9 probable)
Faribault – 7
Fillmore – 25
Freeborn – 15
Jackson – 10 (11 probable)
Le Sueur – 11 (1 probable)
Lyon – 47
Martin – 17 (1 probable)
McLeod – 36 (1 probable)
Mower – 27
Murray – 8 (1 probable)
Nicollet – 18
Nobles – 11 (7 probable)
Redwood – 14 (1 probable)
Renville – 19
Rice – 34
Sibley – 4 (2 probable)
Steele – 14
Waseca – 24
Watonwan – 2