Seventeen more Minnesotans have died and another 159 people tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Minnesota Health Department.
With the new cases, Minnesota has passed the 2,000 mark for the first time and now has a total of 2,071 coronavirus infections. Ten days ago, the state had 1,069 cases.
The total number of deaths now stands at 111.
Nearly 22 % of people who are ill from COVID-19 are in the hospital, with 223 needing inpatient care, including 106 in intensive care.
But more than half of those who have tested positive — 1,066 people — have recovered and no longer need to be isolated.
Due to testing limitations, many people who are sick have not been tested and public health officials emphasize that the virus is circulating in Minnesota communities, even those with a low number of confirmed cases.
So far, 43,053 patient samples have been tested, including 1,378 that were completed Thursday.
Glenn Howatt • 612-673-7192
