Minnesota surpasses 6,000 COVID-19 deaths

(FOX 9) - Over 6,000 Minnesotans have now died from COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday.

MDH reported 1,292 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 additional deaths on Thursday. With the newly reported cases and deaths, there have now been 450,762 coronavirus case and 6,011 deaths attributed to the disease since the first infection was reported in the state last March.

Minnesota families grieve loved ones lost to coronavirus after grim milestone

For Kris Osojnicki, 400,000 dead from COVID-19 is more than a monumental figure, it is overwhelming loss and grief for so many.

Over 96% of the state’s coronavirus cases have recovered to the point where they no longer require isolation.

The 1,292 newly reported cases were out of 41,333 completed tests—a positivity rate of 3.1%. Minnesota’s seven-day average positivity rate now sits at 4.8%. Health officials consider anything over 5% a concern.

Thirteen of the 32 COVID-19 deaths reported on Thursday were in the Twin Cities metro, while the rest were in Greater Minnesota. Fifteen of the deaths were in long-term care or assisted living facilities, one was in a group home or residential behavioral health facility and one was in a jail or prison.

Only one of the people who died was under the age of 60—a Pine County resident in their late 50s—while the rest were 60 years old or older.

Minnesota has averaged 27 deaths a day over the last week, down from an average of 35 deaths a day the week before.

There are currently 558 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota, 98 of whom are in the ICU. This is the first time since Sept. 21 that ICU cases have fallen below 100.

As of Monday, 203,839 Minnesotans have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 41,984 are fully inoculated. Nine pilot clinics opened across the state on Thursday to begin vaccinating Minnesotans ages 65 and older as well as teachers and child care workers against COVID-19.