MN COVID-19 Update: 75 New COVID-19 Related Deaths Reported Wednesday

Minnesota reported 75 new COVID-19 related deaths along with 1,513 new coronavirus cases today. The deaths included eight people from the Lakeland viewing area:

• One death in Beltrami County of someone aged 80-84
• One death in Cass County of someone aged 70-74
• One death in Clearwater County of someone aged 95-99
• One death in Crow Wing County of someone aged 85-89
• One death in Itasca County of someone aged 80-84
• One death in Mille Lacs County of someone aged 90-94
• One death in Morrison County of someone aged 70-74
• One death in Todd County of someone aged 90-94

The new cases came from 23,563 tests for a case positivity rate of 6.4%.

In the Lakeland viewing area, there were 67 new cases reported in the following counties:

• Aitkin – 16
• Beltrami – 9
• Cass County – 11
• Crow Wing – 7
• Hubbard – 1
• Itasca – 5
• Koochiching – 1
• Mahnomen – 1
• Mille Lacs – 5
• Morrison – 4
• Polk – 3
• Todd – 1
• Wadena – 3

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Minnesota fell by more than half over the past two weeks and is now at about 2,406 daily. Hospitalizations have fallen as well, with 228 people currently in intensive care after the number nearly reached 400 at the beginning of December.

Health commissioner Jan Malcolm said health officials expect vaccination efforts to help drive case numbers down ever further, but urged the public to continue to follow public health guidelines as more vaccine becomes available for the public in the coming months.