Four local counties report COVID deaths; nearly 7,000 new infections statewide

Four local counties report COVID-19 deaths in the Minnesota Department of Health’s Thursday update.

Sixty-two deaths were reported statewide, including the death of a person in their late 70’s in Blue Earth County.  In Freeborn County, two residents died.  MDH says one of the fatalities involved a person in their early 50’s, while the other was a person in their early 60’s.  Le Sueur County reported the death of a person in their early 70’s, and a Sibley County resident in their early 60’s died.

Of the total deaths reported Thursday, 33 happened in December, two came from January 2021, and 27 happened this month. Minnesota’s death toll is now at 10,733.

In addition, state health officials logged 6,936 new infections Thursday.  Here are reports from some of the counties in southern Minnesota:

Blue Earth – 81 (5 probable)
Brown – 39 (1 probable)
Cottonwood – 9 (5 probable)
Faribault – 15
Freeborn – 86 (3 probable)
Le Sueur – 12
Martin – 9 (4 probable)
Nicollet – 43 (1 probable)
Sibley – 7
Waseca – 10
Watonwan – 10

As of Wednesday, 1,469 coronavirus patients were hospitalized, according to MDH. That number includes 272 people requiring intensive care. A capacity report shows the state’s staffed ICU beds are at a dangerously low capacity, with about 96% of those beds currently in use.