COVID Friday: Over 2,500 new cases, 5 new deaths

Over 2,500 new COVID-19 cases were reported by the Minnesota Department of Health Friday, along with five new deaths.

Daily cases rose past 2,000 on Thursday for the first time since January, making Friday the second consecutive day that infections surpassed that number, with state health officials reporting 2,553 new cases.

Friday’s five deaths bring the state’s death toll to 6,864.  A death in Murray County involved a person in their 70’s, according to MDH’s daily update.  The other deaths came from Hennepin, Otter Tail, and Scott counties.

There were 439 patients hospitalized Friday, according to MDH, including 112 in intensive care.  That’s an increase of four from the previous report.

Here are the latest case reports in southern Minnesota counties:

Blue Earth – 27 (5 probable)
Brown – 17 (1 probable)
Cottonwood – 5 (3 probable)
Faribault – 1
Fillmore – 4
Freeborn – 14 (1 probable)
Jackson – 5 (9 probable)
Le Sueur – 9 (2 probable)
Lyon – 15 (1 probable)
Martin – 10
McLeod – 19 (3 probable)
Mower – 13 (1 probable)
Murray – 1 (1 probable)
Nicollet – 8
Redwood – 8
Renville – 1
Rice – 30 (1 probable)
Sibley – 2 (2 probable)
Steele – 10 (1 probable)
Waseca – 5
Watonwan – 1