Beltrami County Reports First Death Due to COVID-19

Beltrami County has reported its first COVID-19 related death. The individual, who was in their 90s, had been hospitalized for a while prior to the death.

Since March, Beltrami County has had a cumulative COVID-19 case total of 275. As of today, there are 19 active cases with two people hospitalized. Cases in the county have decreased in the last week.

The Minnesota Department of Health reported 567 new coronavirus cases and six new deaths from the virus today, including the death from Beltrami County. The 567 new cases came from 12,690 tests for a case positivity rate of 4.4%. Health officials say the state’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate has moved down to 4.9%. Last Monday, that average was at 5.4%. The goal is to keep that average down below 5%, and today is the first time it has been below 5% since July 23rd.

Of the state’s 1,712 total deaths, 1,280 of those were those residing in long-term care or assisted living facilities, about 75% of the total.

There have now been 65,716 cases in the state since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those cases, there have been 58,859 patients no longer needing isolation.

Hospitalizations are falling, with 286 people currently hospitalized because of the virus. That’s the fewest amount of people hospitalized since July 26th. There are 155 hospitalized in the ICU.

In the Lakeland viewing area, the state reported 14 new cases in the following counties:

• Aitkin County – 2
• Beltrami County – 4
• Crow Wing County – 4
• Itasca County – 1
• Mille Lacs County – 1
• Morrison County – 1
• Wadena County – 1