COVID-19 in Minnesota: 1,704 new cases, 5 more deaths reported Saturday
Minnesota reports record 2,297 COVID-19 cases, 44,398 tests Friday
Minnesota health officials reported 2,297 newly reported cases of COVID-19 Friday out of 44,398 completed tests—both new single-day highs for the state.
(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 1,704 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths Saturday.
The state has now seen a total of 121,090 cases of COVID-19 and 2,217 deaths since the onset of the pandemic.
Friday, the state reported a record daily high of 2,297 new cases as well as more than 44,000 tests completed in a 24-hour period.
The record number of newly reported cases Friday followed a similarly record-setting surge in testing, keeping the positivity rate relatively unchanged at 5.1%. The seven-day rolling average positivity rate is 5.3%—up from 5% at this time last week, according to Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates widespread disease growth in the state.
Upward coronavirus case trend in Minnesota worries experts
Health officials say Saturday’s record high for newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in a single day in Minnesota is a trend in the wrong direction.
Malcolm says hospitalizations are trending upward in Minnesota. On Friday, there were 461 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota—131 of whom are in the ICU.
However, state health officials say hospital bed capacity is less of a concern than community spread of COVID-19 to hospital staff. Hennepin Healthcare CEO Jennifer DeCubellis said Friday that every hospital system in Minnesota has had to take beds offline when health workers have to quaratine either due to contracting the coronavirus or being exposed to a case.
As of Thursday, there are 24 schools statewide with five or more cases of COVID-19—up from 11 the week before. Four of the schools are in the Twin Cities metro: Blaine High School, Chanhassen High School, Maple Grove Senior High and Park Center IB World School in Brooklyn Park.
MDH updates its list of pre-K through grade 12 schools with five or more cases of COVID-19 every Thursday.