State health officials Monday reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths and 1,087 additional cases.
The new case reports came off a volume of 13,035 tests, the lowest number seen in nearly two months.
COVID-19 complications have caused 5,160 deaths in Minnesota. Seven of the deaths announced Monday were residents of long-term care facilities, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Although new daily case counts have been falling over the past several weeks, the Christmas period could make it difficult to discern trends.
Many testing sites closed or had limited hours due to Wednesday's snowstorm and the following days of holiday celebration. Reports of new cases and deaths could also have been delayed.
On Sunday, the Health Department announced 2,534 new COVID-19 infections and 40 deaths, which was based on reports made to the state health agency on Friday and Saturday by clinicians and funeral homes.
About 21% of the state's hospital beds are filled by COVID-19 patients, with 878 total admissions due to complications from the coronavirus. Of those, 203 patients are in intensive care, down from 399 on Dec. 1, which was the peak, according to the state's online dashboard.
Altogether, 87% of the state's 1,212 ICU beds are occupied due to COVID-19 or recovery from emergencies, surgeries and other medical conditions.
Most people who require hospital-level care have underlying health conditions, including heart, lung and kidney disease.
For others, COVID-19 infection causes mild or no symptoms, although they can transmit the virus to others.
Since the pandemic began, 391,248 of the 410,138 COVID-19 cases are considered to be no longer infectious and don't need to isolate.
Glenn Howatt • 612-673-7192
