COVID deaths reported in Brown, Martin counties

State health officials reported another 43 coronavirus deaths Wednesday, including one death in each Brown and Martin counties.

The Brown County death involved a person in their late 60’s and was the county’s 63rd death of the pandemic, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.  Martin County reported its 42nd death of the pandemic, a person in their late 80’s.  Minnesota’s death toll rose to 8,925 with the latest deaths.

COVID-19 hospitalizations Wednesday are at 1,159, according to a capacity report, which shows that 257 patients are in the intensive care unit.  That’s an uptick from the previous report, although south-central Minnesota’s ICU capacity has improved, going from 13% of staffed, available beds on Tuesday, to 30% of ICU beds open as of Wednesday.

Newly-confirmed infections remain high, with MDH logging 5,277 new cases, including 84 in Blue Earth County, 34 in Freeborn County, 25 in Nicollet County, and 12 in Waseca County