The daily coronavirus update: 21 more deaths as cases continue to spread in rural Minnesota

 MinnPost provides updates on coronavirus in Minnesota Sunday through Friday. The information is published following a press phone call with members of the Walz administration or after the release of daily COVID-19 figures by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Here are the latest updates from October 25, 2020:

Twenty-one more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Sunday, for a total of 2,349. 

Of the deaths announced Sunday, one person was older than 100, five were in their 90s, seven were in their 80s, four were in their 70s, two were in their 60s, one was in their 50s, and one was in their 30s. Of the 21 deaths announced Sunday, 12 were among residents of long-term care facilities.

MDH also said Sunday there have been 133,802 total cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. The number of positives is up 1,680 from Saturday’s count and is based on 34,488 new tests. You can find the seven-day positive case average here.

The current caseload and death toll combines Minnesotans with positive PCR tests and positive antigen tests approved under a Food and Drug emergency authorization use. MDH added antigen tests to case counts on Oct. 14.

On Saturday, MDH reported 14 deaths and an increase of 2,259 new cases from Friday’s count. It was the second-highest number of new cases reported in one day so far in the pandemic, and came on 36,603 tests. 

Greater Minnesota is now bearing the brunt of the state’s COVID-19 death toll. Of the 14 deaths announced Saturday, five were among residents of the Twin Cities metro and nine were among residents of Greater Minnesota. Of the 21 deaths announced Sunday, 11 were among residents of the Twin Cities metro and 10 were among residents of Greater Minnesota.

On Saturday and Sunday, the state reported one death in Mille Lacs County, four in St. Louis County, two in Mower County and two in Stearns County — all areas that have seen a sharp rise in fatalities in the last several weeks. Mower County had reported just six deaths on Oct. 1, roughly seven months into the pandemic, and now it has announced 17 deaths. Mille Lacs County had reported just three deaths on Oct. 1, and now has reported 15.

The most recent data available show 163 Minnesotans are hospitalized in intensive care with COVID-19, and 421 are in the hospital with COVID-19 not in intensive care. You can find more information about Minnesota’s current ICU usage and capacity here.

More information on cases can be found here.

Today on MinnPost

• Catch up on all of MinnPost’s 2020 election coverage.
• Asking yourself how long it’s been since this all started? Us too. 
• As always, a look at the numbers on the MinnPost COVID-19 dashboard.

Around the web

• The first randomized, controlled trial to test the safety and effectiveness of convalescent plasma provided no benefit to COVID-19 patients in India, according to the UMN’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
• Dr. Deborah Birx, the top White House adviser on COVID-19, was in Rochester on Saturday and expressed “deep concern” about rising cases in Minnesota, reports the Star Tribune.
• The Washington Post reports the Trump campaign flouted agreements with Minnesota officials to follow health guidelines at the president’s Duluth rally on Sept. 30. The campaign signed an agreement pledging to limit attendance to 250 people, but more than 2,500 attended.

MDH’s coronavirus website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html

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