Sunday, May 17
- MDH reported 699 new cases of COVID-19
- Health officials reported 22 additional deaths, including 19 death at long-term care facilities
- State has now completed more than 150,000 tests, including 6,607 in the past day
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 699 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota on Sunday, which is down from 740 cases on Saturday. That brings the statewide total to 15,668. MDH said there have been 22 additional deaths, including 19 deaths at long-term care facilities. The total number of deaths in the state is at 722 since the pandemic began.
The state has now completed 150,605 coronavirus tests, including 6,607 in the past day.
MDH said 487 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in Minnesota, including 221 in the ICU. At least 10,897 patients have now recovered to the point of no longer requiring isolation.
The age group of 30-39 has the most cases with 3,130 and 3 deaths. The age group of 70+ years has the most deaths, at 599 out of 2,307 cases.
In terms of likely exposure to coronavirus, MDH says 3,705 cases involve exposure in a congregate living setting, 2,772 cases had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case, 2,636 cases had community transmission with no known contact with an infected person and 626 cases were linked to travel. Statistics say 925 of the positive cases are healthcare workers. The source of transmission is unknown for 5,004 cases.
Hennepin County has the most cases in the state at 5,158, with 462 deaths, followed by Stearns County with 1,713 cases and 10 deaths. Ramsey County has 1,530 cases and 71 deaths.
Saturday, May 16
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services says cases have risen to 12,187 in the state, with 453 deaths.
- MDH Saturday Update: 14,969 total confirmed cases, 700 deaths.
3:00 p.m.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 have risen to 12,187, with deaths at 453.
The state reports that 2,018 individuals - 17% of all reported cases - have been hospitalized.
Milwuakee County has the most cases at 4,759, with 252 deaths. This is followed by Brown County at 2,070 cases and 22 deaths; and Racine County at 1,004 cases and 18 deaths.
While confirmed cases continue to be near evenly split among men (49%) and women (51%), total deaths have skewed more toward men (58%), as opposed to women (42%).
20-29 year olds, 30-39 year olds, 40-49 year olds and 50-59 year olds account for 17% of total reported cases, each.
However, COVID-19 has hit those seventy years of age or older more severely with 70-79 year olds at 15%, 80-89 year olds at 20% and 90+ year olds at 32% of all reported deaths.
More data can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services' website.
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 740 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota on Saturday, which is down from 808 cases on Friday. That brings the statewide total to 14,969. MDH said there have been 17 additional deaths, for a total of 700 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
The state has now completed 143,281 coronavirus tests, including 8,612 in the past day.
MDH said 493 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in Minnesota, including 225 in the ICU. At least 10,271 patients have now recovered to the point of no longer requiring isolation.
The age group of 30-39 has the most cases with 2,982 and 3 deaths. The age group of 70+ years has the most deaths, at 579 out of 2,232 cases.
In terms of likely exposure to coronavirus, MDH says 3,693 cases involve exposure in a congregate living setting, 2,600 cases had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case, 2,751 cases had community transmission with no known contact with an infected person and 626 cases were linked to travel. Statistics say 924 of the positive cases are healthcare workers. The source of transmission is unknown for 4,375 cases.
Hennepin County has the most cases in the state at 4,930, with 454 deaths, followed by Stearns County with 1,675 cases and 10 deaths. Ramsey County has 1,416 cases and 67 deaths.
Friday, May 15
- MDH warns about potential "severe" illness in children that may be related to COVID-19
- Minnesota hits single-day record in new COVID-19 cases, second-highest testing day
- Stay at Home order to expire Monday, to be replaced with Stay Safe MN order and loosened restrictions
- Walz says June 1 date for reopening some restaurants is "goal"
2 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued an advisory asking providers and parents to keep an eye out for a syndrome in children that may be related to COVID-19, called MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children).
Dr. Ruth Lynfield, the state epidemiologist, said that globally, children from a young age through adolescence have presented with fever, signs of inflammation, and many of them have had abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting. A rash, swollen hands or feet, and red or pink eye can also be symptoms.
"We are just trying to figure out what is going on here now that people are observing this," Lynfield said Friday on the daily MDH briefing call.
The syndrome has been reported in the United Kingdom, France and Italy, and Lynfield said it has been identified in over 100 children in New York, with three deaths in that state.
Some children are getting "very severely ill" with MIS-C, Lynfield said, with more than two organs impacted. Many of them have had heart involvement, but also kidney, lungs, gastrointestinal, and neurological manifestations. Most of the children, however, have gotten better, according to Lynfield.
Some of these children have tested positive for COVID-19, Lynfield said. Some did not test positive, but blood tests showed antibodies consistent with exposure to the virus. Some children also had family members who had been ill, and symptoms presented a number of weeks later.
"We are learning more about some of the complications that may be occurring," she said. "We need to look into this more but certainly in some children there has been this connection."
Some of these children have presented as having Kawasaki disease, Lynfield said, but are older than the specific age range for that illness. Some have also presented with something like toxic shock syndrome.
Kawasaki disease, which typically occurs in children under the age of 5, is associated with fever and red eyes, inflamed and cracking lips, a strawberry-colored, inflamed tongue, swollen hands and feet, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Health officials do not know for certain whether MIS-C is connected with COVID-19 but "we think it probably is," Lynfield said.
Dr. Lynfield said parents should continue to follow social distancing and recommended hygiene guidelines for their children.
MDH does not yet have data on MIS-C cases in Minnesota, but Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann said they have seen 176 cases of COVID-19 in children from birth to 5 years old, and 763 cases in children ages 6 to 19. Of all those cases, 27 have been hospitalized and no one has died.
Minnesota saw its single largest day-over-day increase in COVID-19 cases when it hit 14,240 cases Friday, up 808 from the prior day.
That large case increase came on the second-highest testing day yet, with 5,890 tested yesterday, according to Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Jan Malcolm.
There were also an additional 20 deaths reported in the last day. Malcolm said 17 of the people who died were residents in long-term care facilities.
Gov. Tim Walz has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of those who have died from the virus on the 19th of every month through 2020.
"Going through these numbers every day, one can almost become numb to the fact that they, every one of them, represent a loved one," Malcolm said.
Over 30% of the population has underlying health conditions that puts them at greater risk for severe COVID-19, according to Ehresmann.
"What we need to keep in mind is that this is a large proportion of our population, and so we're working collectively, it's not just individuals who may reside in a long-term care setting," she said.
Lynfield added that obesity is another of those underlying conditions. She pointed out that a number of severe cases that have been identified in younger people without underlying conditions.
Malcolm said the developments in Wisconsin, with bars reopening to customers, "could have some impact" in Minnesota.
"Particularly in border communities but maybe beyond that," she said.
It will be hard for MDH to determine how Wisconsin is affecting numbers as they fluctuate, she said, but "we do expect it will affect us."
11 a.m.
Gov. Tim Walz is holding a news conference to announce his first appointment to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Although the appearance is not related to COVID-19, Walz will take questions from reporters about the state's response to the virus after his remarks.
This is Walz's first public appearance since he announced that the Stay at Home order will be allowed to expire Sunday at 11:59 p.m., and be replaced by the Stay Safe MN order.
Walz has said the state will begin reopening bars, restaurants and other high-contact businesses June 1. He emphasized Friday that date is a "goal."
"Do I anticipate you'll have crowded bars, elbow to elbow? No," Walz said. But he added that he believes there may be a more careful way to reopen bars and restaurants.
If at any point under the "Stay Safe" order hospitals begin to express that they're overwhelmed in their capacity, Walz said, the dial will be turned back and restrictions will be put into place once again.
Walz said he would encourage Minnesotans not to go across the border to grab a drink at a bar.
"I worry for the public health and people's individual health," he said. "A lot of this is dependent on trusting the public, and we trust the public on a lot of things but we still have speed limits."
He said that he needs to trust people to make their own decisions, but he would encourage them to think about others.
"It's not about you not being afraid and it's not even necessarily about your personal liberties, it's about that action will affect others," he said.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 808 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota in Friday, bringing the statewide total to 14,240. MDH said there have been 20 additional deaths, for a total of 683 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
The state has now completed 134,669 coronavirus tests, including 5,917 in the past day.
MDH said 498 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in Minnesota, including 200 in the ICU. At least 9,503 patients have now recovered to the point of no longer requiring isolation.
Thursday, May 14
2 p.m.
In their first public address since the governor's announcement that the Stay at Home order will be lifted Monday, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) held its daily briefing call Thursday afternoon.
MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases has stayed steady at 10 days, despite a higher volume of people being tested in the past 24 hours.
"Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 can and should get tested," Malcolm said. "Please do call your provider and see about getting a test. And of course, when people test positive and/or if they feel sick even without a test, please, please self-isolate. That means staying at home."
Malcolm said Minnesotans staying home when sick is a key part of the new Stay Safe MN order that will replace the Stay at Home order. Anyone looking for a testing location near them can utilize the location finder at mn.gov/covid19.
MDH just reached its single-day testing record of 6,717. Public health staff also completed 650 case interviews in a single day, an MDH milestone, Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann said.
Of the people who have died, 98.8% had underlying health conditions. Ehresmann clarified that there is missing information for 164 of the deaths.
The state is expecting a third shipment of remdesivir Friday, according to State Epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield.
Lynfield said the state will be looking at several factors to determine whether the "dial" needs to be turned back and more restrictions need to be put into place once again. Those measures include testing capability, case doubling rate, percent of cases that are considered "community spread," hospitalization and ICU rates, among others.
Malcolm said they have talked about whether it might be possible to enact certain restrictions regionally based on hot spots, instead of doing so on a statewide basis, but there is no firm plan in place right now to do so.
As far as hospital capacity, Malcolm said they continue to work hard on procuring personal protective equipment (PPE).
"The daily monitoring of capacity is really important," she said. A 24-7 resource line is available for providers to report shortages when they come up.
Malcolm said with the new Stay Safe order, groups of under 10 are allowed to gather but should still stay 6 feet apart and wear masks. She said being outside presents a bit more of a "safe zone" as opposed to "confined indoor spaces."
Ehresmann also said "remember that your exit and entrance matter." She said often people will clump together as they're coming and going, even if there is a plan for the gathering itself to implement social distancing.
"We still are really concerned about our elderly and people with underlying conditions and we really do want them to be safe," said Lynfield. "With this virus, it really is a stealth virus, because people can transmit it before they develop symptoms, and some people don't develop symptoms."
Lynfield said they want high-risk people, including the elderly, to continue to stay home. She suggested picking up groceries for elderly neighbors, but refraining from face-to-face interactions.
"This virus has not gone away and it really is up to all of us to do our part to keep transmission down," she said.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is also a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.
