Coronavirus In Minnesota: 1,047 Additional Cases, 7 Deaths In Last Day
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday 1,047 cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths.
Of the cases reported Thursday, Commissioner Jan Malcolm later clarified that 264 of them were from a backlog going back several months. While they add to Minnesota's overall total, the number of cases added in the last 24 hours is 783.
There are now a total of 78,123 positive cases recorded in the state; 70,175 of those people who have contracted the disease no longer need to self-isolate.
Thursday's addition brings the total death count to 1,837. Of those deaths, 1,348 have taken place in a long-term care or assisted living facility.
Currently, 272 people are battling the virus in Minnesota hospitals. The number of patients in intensive care has stayed relatively steady in the past few weeks, with 138 currently in the ICU.
In the last 24 hours, more than 13,926 COVID-19 tests have been processed, with more than 1.5 million already completed in the state. More than 1.15 Minnesotans have been tested since March.
MORE: MDH's COVID-19 Situation Update
On Wednesday, HealthPartners announced they were looking for Minnesotans to participate in a local, clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine. Though the federal government has said the United States could see a vaccine in about eight weeks, some are skeptical about its reliability.
According to the state's Dial Back Dashboard, the state's positivity rate is at about 5% as of the beginning of August, accounting for the delay in data. If the rate were to soar to 15% or climb 5% over 14 days, health officials would consider tightening COVID-19 restrictions.
