COVID-19 in Minnesota: 4,647 new cases, 34 more deaths reported Saturday
Minnesota sets new daily record for COVID-19 cases, deaths, tests
Minnesota saw its highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in a single day Friday with 5,454 new cases and 36 deaths, according to the latest data from the state health department.
(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 4,647 new cases of COVID-19 and 34 more deaths Saturday.
Of the newly reported deaths, 18 lived in assisted living facilities, and 16 lived in private homes. The ages range from someone in their 50s to someone in their late 90s.
On Friday, the state saw its highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in a single day with 5,454 new cases and 36 deaths.
The Minnesota Department of Health reports the state has now recorded 174,954 cases of COVID-19 and 2,625 deaths attributed to the disease since the onset of the pandemic.
Friday's record of 5,454 newly reported COVID-19 cases were on a record high volume of completed tests. There were 45,769 tests completed in the most recent 24-hour period—a positivity rate of 11.9%, relatively unchanged from the previous day.
Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm reported Friday the 7-day average positivity rate is now 9.8%, up from 7% the week prior. However, it is a lagging indicator and does not include the current week’s record high case counts. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates a high rate of community transmission of the disease.
“This test positivity rate clearly shows that finding more cases is not just a matter of testing more. We are testing a lot more and finding a lot more,” Malcolm said.
The number of cases are now growing at nearly double the rate testing is. Minnesota saw a 16% increase in cases from the week before and only an 8.3% increase in the number of tests.
ICU beds near capacity in Twin Cities metro as COVID-19 impacts health care workers
As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, so does the strain on hospitals. In the Twin Cities metro, both intensive and non-intensive care beds are inching closer to full capacity.
Hospitalizations remain at record high levels with 1,038 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota as of Thursday, according to MDH’s COVID-19 response capacity dashboard. Of those 1,038 patients, 224 are in the intensive care unit.
In the Twin Cities metro, both ICU and non-ICU beds are inching closer to full capacity.