Officials Report 6th Straight Day of Single-Digit Deaths From COVID-19

On Friday, Minnesota health officials reported single digit deaths due to COVID-19 for the sixth straight day. All five of today’s deaths were in long-term care facilities. The state also reported 498 new positive cases, up from 365 yesterday.

Officials say they are keeping an eye on rising infection rates in people in their 20s and noted two bars in Minneapolis and two bars in Mankato as being sites they have identified as places where the virus has spread rapidly.

Health officials say the median age of people contracting COVID-19 has dropped from 42 a month ago to 39.6. Because more people are being tested, officials are not only looking at the total case count but also the case positivity rate. On a seven-day rolling average, currently just 3% of the tests taken within the state are coming back positive, which is well below the 15% threshold listed in the state dial back dashboard indicators.

Currently in Minnesota, four of the five dial back indicators have been met, and the data is close on the fifth, which is hospital admissions per 100,000 residents on a rolling seven-day average. The goal is 4 cases per 100,000, and Minnesota is currently at 4.9 cases per 100,000. The high was 11 per 100,000 on May 21st.

In the Lakeland viewing area today, there were three new cases reported in Crow Wing County, one new case in Koochiching County, one new case in Morrison County, and three new cases in Polk County.