The Minnesota Department of Health reported 3,165 new COVID-19 cases today along with 18 deaths. This now brings the total number of cases in Minnesota to 145,465.

Today’s case count marks the highest number of cases in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic, breaking Thursday’s record number of cases, and is the fifth time this month daily cases eclipsed 2,000. This is the first time the case count has risen past 3,000.

The new cases came from 33,910 tests for a case positivity rate of 9.3%. The seven-day rolling average for case positivity reported on Wednesday was at 9.1%.

Three of the deaths came from the Lakeland viewing area. One was a resident from Beltrami County between the ages of 90-94, one was in Hubbard County between the ages of 70-74, and one was in Polk County between the ages of 80-84.

In the Lakeland viewing area, the state reported 347 new cases on Friday in following counties:

• Aitkin – 16
• Beltrami – 23
• Cass – 16
• Clearwater – 5
• Crow Wing – 65
• Hubbard – 34
• Itasca – 18
• Koochiching – 2
• Lake of the Woods – 1
• Mahnomen – 5
• Mille Lacs – 22
• Morrison – 25
• Polk – 47
• Roseau – 23
• Todd – 35
• Wadena – 10

By — Nick Ursini