Four area counties report COVID deaths

Four area counties reported COVID-19 deaths Wednesday as the Minnesota Department of Health rolled out its latest daily update.

MDH logged a total of 69 deaths, bringing Minnesota’s death toll to 10,468.  Among those deaths was a person in their early 40’s in Blue Earth County.  It was one of two deaths reported in the county Wednesday.  The other involved a resident in their early 80’s.  In Nicollet County, a person in their late 70’s died of COVID-19, according to the daily update.  MDH says a Waseca County resident in their 90’s also died.

There were another 5,215 new infections reported by state health officials Wednesday.  New cases in southern Minnesota include:

Blue Earth County – 48
Le Sueur County – 16
Nicollet County – 21
Waseca County – 12

A capacity report shows 1,348 COVID patients are hospitalized around the state. According to the report, 95% of the state’s adult non-ICU beds are in use, while intensive care units are about 96% full. Locally, Minnesota’s south-central region has about 21% of its non-ICU beds available, and 13% of its ICU beds open.