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Live updates: MDH reports 85 deaths, 3,439 new COVID-19 cases

Here are the latest developments on the spread of COVID-19 and efforts to combat the virus in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

ST PAUL, Minn. — Sunday, Dec. 13

2 p.m.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (WDHS) reported 2,757 new cases Sunday, bringing the total number of cases statewide to 436,773.

Health officials reported 15 new deaths on Sunday as the total number of fatalities in Wisconsin rose to 4,056, which is approximately 0.9% of those testing positive for the virus.  

Due to high case numbers, Gov. Tony Evers issued a new emergency order mandating indoor face coverings on Friday, Nov. 20 that will last 60 days.

On Oct. 6, Gov. Evers' administration issued a new order limiting the size of public indoor gatherings to 25% of capacity, to stem the spread of COVID-19. That order was struck down on Oct. 13 by a judge in Sawyer County. The order was reinstated on Oct. 19 by a Barron County judge, but on Oct. 23, a Wisconsin appeals court put a hold on the order.

Wisconsin health officials say a total of 19,249 people have been hospitalized from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, about 4.4% of the total number of people who have been diagnosed with the virus.  

Of the confirmed cases in Wisconsin, 19% involve people between the ages of 20 to 29, 16% are between 30 and 39, 15% are between 50 and 59, and 14% are 40 to 49. An estimated 11% are between 10 and 19, and another 11% are between 60 and 69.

As of Sunday, Milwaukee County reported the largest number of confirmed cases with 77,118, along with 815 deaths. Dane County has reported 30,474 confirmed cases and 113 deaths, Waukesha County has reported 30,299 confirmed cases and 282 deaths, and Brown County has reported 24,332 cases and 150 deaths.

A more detailed breakdown of cases by county can be found on the DHS website.

11 a.m.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 3,439 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, along with 85 new deaths.

MDH's COVID-19 case definition includes both antigen testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases, while positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.  

Sunday's new case total includes 3,181 confirmed cases and 258 probable cases.

RELATED: What are the different types of coronavirus tests?

The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 378,823, with 10,289 of those as antigen test results. 

MDH says 85 new deaths from the virus were reported, which pushes the total number of fatalities in Minnesota to 4,444.

To date, 19,536 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 4,228 of them needing care in the ICU.

MDH reports that 341,530 people once diagnosed with the virus have recovered enough that they no longer need isolation.

Of those who have tested positive, people between the ages of 20-24 account for the most cases with 39,199 cases and three deaths, and ages 25-29 follow with  
34,147 cases and five deaths. Those between 85 and 89 years old account for the highest number of fatalities in one age group with 829 out of 4,975 cases.

In terms of likely exposure to the coronavirus, MDH says 76.427 cases were the result of community transmission with no known contact with an infected person, and 69,590 had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case.

A total of 30,642 cases involved exposure in a congregate living setting, 6,381 were in a corrections setting, and 593 were in a homeless shelter. MDH data shows 15,959 were linked to an outbreak outside of congregate living or health care.

MDH says 22,710 cases were linked to travel. Health care workers or patients account for 10,540 of diagnosed COVID-19 cases. The source of transmission for 145,981 cases is still unknown or missing.

MDH has prioritized testing for people in congregate care, hospitalized patients and health care workers, which may impact the scale of those numbers. However, now MDH is urging anyone who is symptomatic or even asymptomatic to be tested. Testing locations can be found online.

Hennepin County has the most COVID activity in the state with 79,134 cases and 1,243 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 33,697 cases and 590 deaths, Dakota County with 27,132 cases and 234 deaths and Anoka County with 26,575 cases and 262 deaths.

Full data, including a breakdown of PCR and antigen test totals in some categories, can be found on MDH's website.

The Minnesota Department of Health has said repeatedly that the number of lab-confirmed cases is only the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to the true number of COVID-19 cases in the state.

The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal at mn.gov/covid19.

Saturday, Dec. 12

2 p.m.

Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (WDHS) reported 4,059 new cases Saturday, bringing the total number of cases statewide to 434,016.

Health officials reported 50 new deaths on Saturday as the total number of fatalities in Wisconsin rose to 4,041, which is approximately 0.9% of those testing positive for the virus.  

Wisconsin health officials say a total of 19,162 people have been hospitalized from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, about 4.4% of the total number of people who have been diagnosed with the virus.  

Of the confirmed cases in Wisconsin, 19% involve people between the ages of 20 to 29, 16% are between 30 and 39, 15% are between 50 and 59, and 14% are 40 to 49. An estimated 11% are between 10 and 19, and another 11% are between 60 and 69.

As of Saturday, Milwaukee County reported the largest number of confirmed cases with 76,514, along with 812 deaths. Dane County has reported 30,250 confirmed cases and 112 deaths, Waukesha County has reported 30,099 confirmed cases and 279 deaths, and Brown County has reported 24,277 cases and 149 deaths.

A more detailed breakdown of cases by county can be found on the DHS website.

11 a.m.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 4,447 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, along with 67 new deaths.

MDH's COVID-19 case definition includes both antigen testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases, while positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.  

Saturday's new case total includes 4,098 confirmed cases and 349 probable cases.

The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 375,398, with 10,038 of those as antigen test results. 

MDH says 67 new deaths from the virus were reported, which pushes the total number of fatalities in Minnesota to 4,359.

To date, 19,428 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 4,213 of them needing care in the ICU.

MDH reports that 335,258 people once diagnosed with the virus have recovered enough that they no longer need isolation.

Of those who have tested positive, people between the ages of 20-24 account for the most cases with 38,909 cases and three deaths, and ages 25-29 follow with  
33,847 cases and five deaths. Those between 85 and 89 years old account for the highest number of fatalities in one age group with 816 out of 4,907 cases.

In terms of likely exposure to the coronavirus, MDH says 74,761 cases were the result of community transmission with no known contact with an infected person, and 68,143 had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case.

A total of 30,036 cases involved exposure in a congregate living setting, 6,308 were in a corrections setting, and 589 were in a homeless shelter. MDH data shows 15,960 were linked to an outbreak outside of congregate living or health care.

MDH says 22,311 cases were linked to travel. Health care workers or patients account for 10,307 of diagnosed COVID-19 cases. The source of transmission for 146,983 cases is still unknown or missing.

Hennepin County has the most COVID activity in the state with 78,430 cases and 1,231 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 33,375 cases and 585 deaths, Dakota County with 26,857 cases and 231 deaths and Anoka County with 26,364 cases and 255 deaths.

Friday, Dec. 11 

  • 94 COVID deaths reported Friday, second-highest single-day total
  • Rapid test site opens at MOA
  • Walz to announce decision on "pause" Monday
  • COVID-19 vaccine to be free of cost
  • Minnesota is expecting to receive 183,000 COVID-19 vaccines over the next month
  • People will need to receive two doses of the vaccine 

2 p.m.

Governor Tim Walz joined Minnesota Department of Health officials to give an update on the state's fight against COVID-19. 

The news conference follows near-record numbers of deaths from the virus. On Friday, MDH reported another 94 Minnesotans have died from COVID-19 -- the second-highest single-day total so far. It's second only to Nov. 27th's total of 101 deaths. 

Walz noted that Friday is the 21st day of the COVID-19 pause, and said some test positivity rates have gone down. He thanked Minnesotans for doing their part to slow the virus's spread, but cautioned that mitigation efforts couldn't stop yet.

He said it is likely Minnesota could start vaccinating health care professionals later in December. 

Walz is expected to speak again Monday to update Minnesotans on whether he will extend the state's four-week pause on in-person dining, gyms, venues and youth sports. When asked for a preview on that decision, he said he's waiting on more data. 

"This is the most challenging thing," he said. "Our pause went into effect three weeks ago... and it looks like there was an impact. It'll take another week to see what that impact was." 

He said he was trying to strike a balance between supporting businesses and protecting people. Adding that data is still coming in, he said he hoped to be able to give an update soon. 

Asked about several pending lawsuits by gyms and youth sports organizations, Walz said officials will respect whatever decision the courts make. 

Walz was also asked about several bars and restaurants that have opened regardless of the restrictions. He said he understands the businesses' frustrations, but that their actions could cause more Minnesotans to become critically ill. Emphasizing that his executive order for the restrictions was constitutionally valid, he said health officials were investigating such situations.

Health commissioner Jan Malcolm added that important infection data from Thanksgiving is still coming in.

"We are still at a very, very vulnerable place," she said.

Kevin Croston, CEO of North Memorial Health, also spoke at the conference. He said as a practicing surgeon, he understood the impact of putting off surgeries during the pandemic. 

"We don't take this responsibility lightly," he said. "As the governor alluded to, as soon as next week, we're going to start distributing vaccines to health care workers... but we're not there quite yet, and we need the support of Minnesotans to get there." 

He urged Minnesotans to follow state health guidance, especially during the holidays. 

Another Minnesota health care professional, RN Mimi Keeler, spoke at the conference. 

"We are spread thin, and we're getting sick like everyone else -- and overworked," Keeler said. She said all frontline workers -- including health care, hospitality, and other workers -- need support. 

Keeler said her hospital is used to turning over ICU beds in several days, but COVID-19 patients often need to remain in the ICU for longer. She said not only does that stress the hospital's resources, it forces patients to seek critical care at further-away locations. 

She asked Minnesotans to help by avoiding in-person gatherings. 

"Christmas will be here next year," she said. 

11 a.m.

New numbers reported Friday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reflect another day of near-record COVID deaths, even as cases of the virus remain flat. 

Another 94 deaths were reported Friday, the second-highest total since the  pandemic hit the state. Only Nov. 27 was higher, when 101 deaths were recorded. The total number of lives lost in Minnesota due to coronavirus now sits at 4,292. Of those deaths 2,819, or 66% of them are associated with long-term care or assisted living settings. 

MDH says 3,773 new COVID-19 cases were documented in the past day, based on 58,497 tests (53,480 PCR, 5,017 Antigen) processed in private and state labs. That testing volume is up from recent days. 

Health officials consider a positive PCR test a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is defined as a probable case. 

Credit: KARE
COVID-19 cases in Minnesota as of 12/11.

The number of hospital beds across the state continues to inch down slowly. Currently, 1,416 beds across the state are being used to treat coronavirus patients, with 343 of those beds in ICU. In the Twin Cities metro, however, availability of non-ICU beds is shrinking, with just 75 of them open (2.0% of total beds). The percentage of ICU beds open is slightly better at 6.3% (43 open ICU beds across Twin Cities hospitals). 

The total number of Minnesotans requiring hospitalization since the onset of the pandemic has risen to 19,251, with 4,188 of those patients requiring ICU care. 

MDH says 327,509 people who at one time tested positive for COVID-19 no longer require isolation. 

Young adults continue to account for largest number of Minnesota's cases, with those between 20 and 24 making up 38,549 cases and three deaths, while people 24 to 29 number 33,500 cases and five deaths. Among the deaths reported Thursday were one person from each of those age groups. 

"We are seeing increasing numbers in those younger age groups," Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm told reporters. 

The younger people who are dying from COVID-19 often have underlying conditions, said state epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield, but she emphasized that MDH is concerned that those deaths in young people are going up.

Minnesota's largest grouping of deaths involves those between 85 and 89, with 809 deaths in just 4,832 cases. 

Hennepin County reports the most COVID activity in the state with 77,579 cases and 1,216 deaths followed by Ramsey County with 32,975 cases and 576 deaths, Dakota County with 26,493 cases and 228 deaths, and Anoka County with 26,078 cases and 254 deaths. 

Cook County in northeastern Minnesota reports the least COVID activity with 94 cases and zero fatalities. 

Thursday, Dec. 10

2 p.m.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) held a briefing call Thursday at 2 p.m. to give the public an update on COVID-19 spread across the state.

MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm shared the latest updates on COVID-19 cases in Minnesota, including the third-highest death count so far in the pandemic on Thursday.

MDH Medical Director Dr. Ruth Lynfield joined Thursday's call to share information about the long-term health effects of the coronavirus. 

"Many people who are infected with COVID-19 do not have symptoms," she said. "And therefore some do not know they have it unless they get tested. This is estimated that about 50% of transmission can occur in people who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic."

Lynfield said that those who are asymptomatic can spread the virus to people who then develop severe cases. But even those with mild cases can get long-term symptoms. These cases are often referred to as "long-haulers."

"In some cases COVID-19 is not just an acute illness," Lynfield said.

Some people who were hospitalized, and even those who had a mild case, are seeing long-term effects from the virus, Lynfield said.

"They can develop symptoms that can go on for weeks or months," Lynfield said.

Experts are still trying to figure out how common these are, and who is most likely to get them.

The symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Joint pain
  • Chest pain
  • Difficulty in thinking and concentration, often called "brain fog"
  • Memory difficulties
  • Change in mood
  • Anxiety
  • Muscle pain
  • Headaches
  • Fever
  • Heart palpitations

"We are also seeing psychiatric complications in association with COVID," Lynfield said. "I mean there really is a wide variety of complications."

Lynfield said the medical and public health communities are trying to come up with language and definitions around "long-haulers." She said she does not know how many Minnesotans fall into this category.

"I have seen large percentages that vary in the medical literature," she said of the national numbers. "I'm a little hesitant to guesstimate."

More than 15,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Minnesota children. Lynfield reminded families that children who are diagnosed with COVID-19 can be at risk of a syndrome called MIS-C. While it's rare, she said, it often lands children in the ICU.

"We don't know everything that we want to about MISC, but we do know that if we can limit the spread of COVID-19, then we can limit this from occurring," Lynfield said.

A similar syndrome has been seen in young adults, called MISA. At least 70 cases have been reported nationally, and two of them have been in Minnesota.

Two people in their 20s were among the COVID-19 deaths reported on Thursday.

"We are seeing increasing numbers in those younger age groups," Malcolm said.

The younger people who are dying from COVID-19 often have underlying conditions, Lynfield said, but she emphasized that MDH is concerned that those deaths in young people are going up.

"Generally the younger people have a variety of health conditions," Lynfield said. "We do see that obesity as well as diabetes and hypertension come up a fair amount. But we all need to remember that these conditions are very common in our communities and so it truly is of great concern ... that we are starting to see deaths in younger individuals."

11 a.m.

The deadly impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt across Minnesota, with another near-record of fatalities reported Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

State health officials say 89 coronavirus deaths were recorded in the past day, now the third-highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic. Two young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 are among those deaths. The total number of people who have perished has risen to 4,198. Of that number 2,767, or 66% of the deaths are linked to assisted living or long-term care facilities.

Credit: KARE

MDH recorded 3,523 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, based on 41,499 tests (38,280 PCR, 3,219 antigen) processed in private and state labs. A positive PCR test is considered a confirmed case, while a positive antigen test is regarded as a probable case.

In all, 367,218 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Minnesota since the pandemic began. Of those cases, 9,409 were based on antigen tests.

Of the people who at one time tested positive for the virus, 324,304 have recovered to the point they no longer require isolation. 

Currently COVID patients occupy 1,542 of Minnesota's hospital beds, with 352 of those in the ICU. Non-ICU bed availability remains low in the Twin Cities metro, with 118 beds, or 3.2% of total capacity available. That is up slightly from Wednesday. ICU beds are not as low, with 39 available (5.7%).

Credit: KARE

The largest segment of Minnesota's coronavirus cases involve young adults, with 20 to 24-year-olds accounting for 38,223 cases and three deaths, with one passing in the last day. Those 25 to 29 make up 33,155 cases and five deaths, one more than on Wednesday.  

Minnesota's largest grouping of fatalities involves people 85 to 89, with 791 deaths in just 4,760 diagnosed cases.

Hennepin County reports the most COVID activity in the state with 76,902 cases and 1,200 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 32,625 cases and 566 fatalities, Dakota County with 26,208 and 224 fatalities, and Anoka County with 25,815 cases and 250 deaths. 

Cook County in northeastern Minnesota has recorded the least COVID activity with 93 cases and zero fatalities. It is the only county still in double-digits for cases of the virus.

KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about the Midwest specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and see what businesses are open as the state slowly lifts restrictions. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: www.kare11.com/give11

The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.

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