COVID deaths reported in Brown, Cottonwood, Freeborn counties

Multiple people have died of COVID-19 in Cottonwood and Brown counties, according to data released Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Health.

There were three deaths in Cottonwood County, where two people in their 80’s and one person in their 90’s died.  In Brown County, two residents in their 70’s died from the virus.  A death was also reported in Freeborn County, a person in their 80’s.  Other counties reporting deaths included Lyon, Jackson, Mower, Nobles, Redwood, and Rice. There were 54 deaths that came from long-term care facilities, and 37 from private residences. One death reported Wednesday came from a jail or prison. Minnesota has seen a total of 4,575 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Here are the death totals from the counties in Southern Minnesota that are reporting COVID deaths today:

Brown – 26
Cottonwood – 8
Freeborn – 15
Jackson – 4
Lyon – 24
Mower – 24
Nobles – 42
Redwood – 24
Rice – 47

Hospitalizations were down Wednesday from the previous day, with 1,277 hospitalized, 304 in intensive care.

The number of new infections also decreased from the previous report, with MDH reporting 2,982 newly confirmed virus cases.

Here are the counties reporting new infections in Southern Minnesota:

Blue Earth – 15 (2 probable)
Brown – 9
Cottonwood – 7
Faribault – 12
Fillmore – 2
Freeborn – 17
Jackson – 2
Le Sueur – 16
Lyon – 6 (1 probable)
Martin – 13 (1 probable)
McLeod – 6 (3 probable)
Mower – 16
Murray – 3
Nicollet – 10 (1 probable)
Nobles – 8 (2 probable)
Redwood – 5 (1 probable)
Renville – 5 (2 probable)
Rice – 38 (1 probable)
Sibley – 2
Steele – 17
Waseca – 8
Watonwan – 2