Eight more positive COVID-19 cases recorded in Mower County for a cumulative total of 1,147

The Minnesota Department of Health reported Friday that the total number of deaths due to the COVID-19, or coronavirus in the state has risen to 1,753, while the cumulative total of positive cases in the state has eclipsed 68,000.

Health officials indicated that the state now has a total of 68,133 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, which was up 835 from 67,308 on Thursday and the 1,753 deaths due to the virus was up eight from 1,745 on Thursday.  They added that 1,320 COVID-19 related deaths thus far in Minnesota have been from cases that resided in long-term or assisted living facilities.  Mower County reported 1,147 cumulative COVID-19 cases Friday, up eight from 1,139 on Thursday.  Mower County Community Health Division Manager Pam Kellogg indicated this week that approximately 25-30 cases of COVID-19 were still active in Mower County at last word.  Olmsted County now has 1,890 cumulative cases, up 13 from 1,877 on Thursday, Steele County reported 384 cases Friday, up six from 378 on Thursday, Freeborn County recorded 383 cases Friday, up six from 377 on Thursday and Dodge County now has 144 cumulative cases, up one from 143 on Friday.  Fillmore County remained at 78 cumulative cases for a third straight day.

296 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 in Minnesota as of Friday, which was down 13 from 309 on Thursday, and 136 of those patients were being treated in intensive care units, which was down 12 from 148 on Thursday.  60,920 patients in Minnesota no longer need to be isolated.