Minnesota reports 2,340 new COVID-19 cases, 21 deaths Tuesday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota saw a drop in new COVID-19 cases week-over-week for the 16th straight day Tuesday. 

The Minnesota Department of Health reported 2,340 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, compared to 3,080 last Tuesday. 

The 2,340 new cases were out of 32,117 completed tests—a positivity rate of 7.3%, although Tuesdays typically have a lower volume of completed tests than other days of the week. 

A total of 384,164 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Minnesota since the first infection was reported in March. There are currently 32,344 active cases of COVID-19 in the state, according to the latest MDH data. 

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MDH also reported 21 more COVID-related deaths on Tuesday. Nine of the deaths were in the Twin Cities metro, while the rest were in Greater Minnesota.

The deaths included a Hennepin County resident in their late 40s. 
Eleven of the 21 people who died were residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities. 

To date, 4,483 Minnesotans have died from COVID-19. 

Hospitalizations are continuing their downward trend, down 31% from their peak on Thanksgiving weekend. There are currently 1,283 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota, down from 1,864 on Nov. 29.