The daily coronavirus update: 31 more deaths in Minnesota as new cases continue to surge

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 November 8, 2020:

Thirty-one more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Sunday, for a total of 2,656. 

Minnesota has now reported more than 30 deaths in four of the last five days, and a total of 199 deaths in the first eight days of November. In July, when the outbreak declined, the state only reported 159 deaths over the entire month. If COVID-19 deaths continue in November at the state’s current pace, Minnesota would break its one-month record of 696 deaths set in May.

Of the people whose deaths were announced Sunday, six were in their 90s, 15 were in their 80s, four were in their 70s, three were in their 60s, one was in their 50s, and two were in their 40s. Of the deaths announced Sunday, 19 were among residents of long-term care facilities. The 31 deaths were spread across 20 counties. Fifteen of the deaths were among residents of the Twin Cities metro area, while 16 lived in Greater Minnesota.

MDH also said Sunday there have been 180,862 total cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. The number of positives is up 5,908 from Saturday’s count and is based on 44,913 new tests. Sunday’s new case count represents the second time in three days Minnesota has set a new single-day high in reported cases. On Friday, the state announced 5,442 new cases. The testing volume Sunday was the second-highest recorded so far in the pandemic.

Sunday’s positive case average was roughly 13 percent, and the seven-day positive case average, which lags by a week, is at least 10 percent, according to the state’s website. Health officials say a rate above 5 percent is a concerning sign of disease spread.

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 34 deaths and an increase of 4,647 new cases. The cases Saturday came on 44,796 tests.

The most recent data available show 224 Minnesotans are hospitalized in intensive care with COVID-19, and 814 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

• 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

• As virus rate surges to 6 percent, the New Jersey governor warns of a crackdown, reports the New York Times.
• President-elect Joe Biden plans to name a 12-member task force on Monday to combat and contain the spread of COVID-19, reports Axios.
• Nursing home COVID-19 cases rise four-fold on surge states, reports the Associated Press.

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

MDH’s phone line for COVID-19 questions, Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m: 651-297-1304

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