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Live updates: New COVID-19 cases exceeding growth in Minnesota's testing

Here are the latest COVID-19 developments in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

ST PAUL, Minn. — Monday, Oct. 19 

  • Judge reinstates Wis. governor's order to limit capacity in establishments
  • U of M moves into third phase of COVID student plan 
  • Gov. Tim Walz announces more saliva testing sites going up this week
  • MDH says testing capacity will double, from 30,000 to 60,000 per day

2 p.m.

In its regular briefing call on COVID-19 Monday, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported climbing test positivity and case rates across the state.

MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said the weekly change in cases is up 9.6% this week compared to last week, compared to 8.4% in change from the week prior. That number is not quite as high as it was in July, Malcolm said, but has been heading upward in recent weeks.

The weekly change in testing is up 7.8% from last week, compared to 8% a week ago.

Malcolm said these numbers demonstrate that despite Minnesota's increased testing capacity, case growth is still faster than testing growth.

"We're still not able to catch all the disease that is out there," Malcolm said.

According to MDH, 469 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19 as of Monday, with 137 of them in intensive care.

MDH Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann reiterated public health guidance for those who plan to vote in person in November.

  • Take steps to avoid crowds
  • Wear a mask
  • Stay 6 feet from others
  • Wash your hands before entering and after exiting
  • Use hand sanitizer while in the polling place
  • Cover coughs and sneezes
  • Stay home if you're sick

More information is available on the MDH Safe Voting page.

In response to questions about a push by Republican lawmakers to lift some COVID-19 restrictions, Malcolm said that health officials do not believe it’s time to open more sectors up.

“All places where people gather increases the risk for transmission,” Malcolm said.

As case growth continues as it is or increases, hospitalizations will follow, Malcolm said. Right now, she said, both hospitalizations and mortality are already increasing.

“All of these indicators are going in the wrong direction, which to us does not indicate that we should relax our precautions,” Malcolm said.

Ehresmann added that MDH is concerned not only about cases in the community, but also the effect on health care workers and the ripple effect on long-term care and other sectors.

Regarding upcoming holidays, Malcolm urged Minnesotans to refrain from large gatherings.

"This is not a typical year, and our strongest advice for people would be to take many, many more precautions than they typically do," she said.

Malcolm pointed out that everyone hopes the pandemic will ease by the next holiday season - but this year is especially dangerous. 

"We're in a very high-risk situation," Malcolm said. "So avoiding those family gatherings, however painful it may be, would be the prudent choice."

Ehresmann added that MDH is focusing on reducing risk rather than eliminating risk. She offered these suggestions:

  • Keep gatherings small, with groups of 10 or less
  • Consider social distancing and wearing masks indoors

Malcolm said that the increase of COVID-19 cases in Minnesota cannot be traced to one industry or type of event.

"The transmission is everywhere," Malcolm said. "It's these individual decisions that we're all making that is ... fueling the rate of increase that we're seeing."

11 a.m.

Numbers released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) show 1,632 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the last 24-hour reporting period, bringing the total number of Minnesotans to test positive for the virus to 124,439. 

MDH says those new cases are based on 21,171 tests processed (both PCR and Antigen) in private and state labs. In all, 2,511,395 tests have been processed since the onset of the pandemic. 

Five more Minnesotans have died from the virus, bringing total fatalities to 2,239. Of those deaths 1,578, or 70% of them have occurred in long-term or assisted living settings.

Credit: KARE

State health officials say 109,963 people who at one time tested positive for coronavirus have recovered to the point they no longer need isolation. 

Currently the total number of people who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic sits at 8,916, with 2,414 requiring care in the ICU. MDH statistics reflect 50 new patients reported in the past day.

Those between the ages of 20 and 24 make up Minnesota's largest case grouping with 15,978 testing positive. One person from that age group has died. People between 25 and 29 account for 12,108 cases and three deaths, while ages 15 to 19 comprise 11,395 cases and zero deaths.

The age group with the most coronavirus fatalities is those between 85 and 89, with 388 deaths in just 1,674 diagnosed cases. 

Hennepin County has the most COVID activity, with 32,274 cases and 965 fatalities, followed by Ramsey County with 13,280 and 347 deaths. Dakota County reports 9,230 cases and 133 deaths. 

Currently Cook County in northeastern Minnesota has the least COVID activity with 11 cases, a number that has been creeping up in recent days. Kittson County has 27 cases. 

 

RELATED: Saint Paul Public Schools start hybrid learning

RELATED: World struggles as confirmed COVID-19 cases pass 40 million

Sunday, Oct. 18

11 a.m.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Sunday that the number of positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Minnesota has increased by 1,732 bringing the cumulative total to 122,812.

MDH says 17 new deaths from the virus were reported in the past day, bringing the total number of fatalities in the Minnesota to 2,234.

Health officials say 1,574 deaths have taken place in long-term care or assisted living facilities.

MDH also said Sunday that the total number of tests taken is at 2,509,734.

To date, 8,866 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 2,405 of them needing care in the ICU.

MDH reports that 108,316 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 15,828 cases and one death, and ages 25-29 follow with 11,961 cases and three deaths. Those between 85 and 89 years old account for the highest number of fatalities in one age group at 386 out of 1,645 confirmed cases.

In terms of likely exposure to the coronavirus, MDH says 31,539 cases were the result of community transmission with no known contact with an infected person, and 27,493 had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case.

A total of 13,702 cases involved exposure in a congregate living setting, 2,071 were in a corrections setting, and 378 were in a homeless shelter. MDH data shows 10,637 were linked to an outbreak outside of congregate living or health care.

MDH says 10,999 cases were linked to travel. Health care workers or patients account for 4,035 of diagnosed COVID-19 cases.

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 to be tested. Testing locations can be found online.

Hennepin County has the most cases in the state at 31,990 cases with 965 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 13,130 cases and 346 deaths. Dakota County reports 9,125 cases and 133 deaths.

Saturday, Oct. 17

11 a.m. 

Minnesota health officials are reporting another day of new COVID-19 cases over 1,000, a trend that continues to cause worry with state policy makers. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says 1,704 people tested positive over the past day, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 121,090 since the pandemic began. That number is confirmed through a combination of PCR and Antigen tests. 

Saturday marks the tenth straight day new cases have numbered over 1,000. 

An additional 5 people have died of coronavirus, bringing state fatalities to 2,217. Of those deaths 1,560, or 70%  have occurred in long-term or assisted living settings.

MDH says 106,774 people who at one time tested positive for the virus have recovered to the point they no longer require isolation. 

Hospitalizations across the state now total 8,801, with 2,393 of those patients needing care in the ICU. 

Those between the ages of 20 and 24 account for Minnesota's largest group of COVID cases with 15,682 and one fatality. People from 25 to 29 make up 11,787 cases and three fatalities, while the age group from 15 to 19 comprise 11,186 cases and zero deaths. 

Hennepin County has the most COVID activity, reporting 31,749 confirmed cases and 962 deaths. Ramsey County has 13,063 confirmed cases and 341 deaths, while Dakota County reports 9,030 cases, 133 of them fatal. 

Cook County in northeastern Minnesota has the least COVID activity with nine cases and zero deaths, while Kittson County in far northwest Minnesota reports just 25 cases.

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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