MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Minnesota Department of Health has announced that 17 more people in the state died last week as a result of influenza, bringing the season’s total to 165 deaths.

According to the health department’s latest numbers, 31 people were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu.

In the last eight weeks, 2,836 people have been hospitalized with influenza.

The latest released pertained to cases reported from Feb. 17-28.

Two long-term care facilities reported outbreaks of the flu in week eight. Since the start of the season, 146 outbreaks of the flu in long-term care facilities have been reported.