Coronavirus In Minnesota: 498 New COVID-19 Cases Reported Saturday And 24 More People Have Died
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesota's COVID-19 case count continued to increase on Saturday, with the Minnesota Department of Health reporting 498 more positive cases. Tragically, 24 more people lost their lives to the illness in the past 24 hours.
The number of tests being completed each day has increased in the past week, as Minnesota's testing capacity ramps up. 11.9% of people tested on Saturday were positive, compared to 13% percent on Friday.
Gov. Tim Walz has said that daily processing capacity could hit 5,000 tests a day by some time next week. Eventually, state health officials are looking to test 20,000 people a day, largely through a partnership between the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota.
Thus far, 79,007 people have been tested for the virus.
A total of 6,228 Minnesotans have contracted the disease, and 395 of them have died from complications caused by the illness.
COVID-19 symptoms are most commonly very mild, or even altogether non-existent. However, for those with underlying health conditions or weakened immune systems, the illness can have a tremendous impact on their quality of life.
On Friday, WCCO's Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield spoke with a couple in Hastings who said "every part of their bodies hurt" as they fought COVID-19.
317 of Minnesota's 395 deaths occured in long-term care or assisted-living facilities, particularly nursing homes. 47 residents died at New Hope's St. Therese, which accounts for 11.9% of the state's total deaths.
Of those currently battling the disease, 389 are still in the hospital, and 135 are listed in intensive care unit beds.
2,397 of the people who have contracted COVID-19 no longer need to be in isolation, but this does not mean they recovered, as it can also mean they've perished from the coronavirus.
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