COVID death in Blue Earth County, more than 1,900 new infections

A person from Blue Earth County has died of COVID-19, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, as close to 2,000 new infections were recorded Friday.

The fatality involved a person in their early 70’s; the 47th death of the pandemic in Blue Earth County, according to MDH. It was also the second death in Blue Earth County this week; the first was Wednesday and also involved a person in their 70’s. The death was one of six Friday, which brought Minnesota’s death toll to 7,799. The ages of those who died ranged from 60’s to 80’s.

Hospitalizations, which have been rising, were up by just six Friday. MDH says 424 total patients are hospitalized, with 155 under intensive care.

Southern Minnesota’s hospitals are filling up. The latest update on the Response Preparation and Capacity report shows that just over a quarter of ICU beds in the state’s South Central region remain open. MDH says there are six (or 26.1%) staffed ICU beds available in the region, which includes Faribault, Martin, Waseca, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Brown, Nicollet, LeSueur, Sibley, McLeod, and Meeker counties. Non-ICU beds are also at 25% (or 92 beds) availability.

Minnesota health officials also reported another 1,912 new infections Friday. Here are the counties in Southern Minnesota reporting new cases:

Blue Earth – 24 (1 probable)
Brown – 13
Cottonwood – 3
Faribault – 8
Fillmore – 11
Freeborn – 17 (1 probable)
Jackson – 5
Le Sueur – 12
Martin – 6
McLeod – 19
Mower – 16 (4 probable)
Murray – 1
Nicollet – 13
Nobles – 5 (1 probable)
Redwood – 7
Renville – 3
Rice – 21 (2 probable)
Sibley – 13 (5 probable)
Waseca – 7 (1 probable)
Watonwan – 11