Residents from Nicollet, Le Sueur, Brown counties die of COVID

State health officials are reporting another 28 deaths due to COVID-19, including fatalities from Nicollet, Le Sueur, and Brown counties.

A Minnesota Department of Health daily update says the Le Sueur County resident who died was in their early 50’s, the 31st death in the county.  In Nicollet County, a person in their early 80’s died; in Brown County, the death involved a resident in their late 70’s.

Twenty-four of Friday’s reported deaths were from this month.  The remaining four deaths were from December 2020, and early 2021.  The latest fatalities bring the state’s death toll to 8,407.

A capacity report shows 999 COVID patients hospitalized in Minnesota, the same day that Governor Tim Walz outlined a plan to use the National Guard to provide staff at Minnesota’s long-term care facilities in order to free up hospital beds.

“Rising COVID-19 cases have left our hospitals too crowded, and we need action now,” said the governor.  “That’s why I’m putting the National Guard on alert and taking critical steps to help free up hospital beds and make sure that Minnesotans can continue to get the care they need.”

The 999 hospitalized include 253 patients in intensive care, the highest number of hospitalizations since last December.  Less than 9% of staffed ICU beds remain available in Minnesota’s south-central region, which includes the counties of Faribault, Martin, Waseca, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Brown, Nicollet, LeSueur, Sibley, McLeod, and Meeker.

Friday’s daily update also reported another 3,352 newly confirmed infections statewide.  Here are the counties reporting cases in southern Minnesota:

Blue Earth – 28 (4 probable)
Brown – 29 (1 probable)
Cottonwood – 3 (6 probable)
Faribault – 12 (1 probable)
Fillmore – 37
Freeborn – 17
Jackson – 3 (3 probable)
Le Sueur – 10 (1 probable)
Martin – 24 (2 probable)
McLeod – 34
Mower – 25 (2 probable)
Murray – 9 (8 probable)
Nicollet – 7 (2 probable)
Nobles – 8 (6 probable)
Redwood – 15 (2 probable)
Renville – 14
Sibley – 11 (2 probable)
Waseca – 11 (1 probable)
Watonwan – 4 (1 probable)