Twenty-six COVID-19 deaths and 5,945 new coronavirus infections were reported by Minnesota health authorities on Tuesday amid signs of a worsening pandemic across the state.
Hospitalizations climbed to another record number — with 1,669 people with COVID-19 occupying inpatients beds in Minnesota and 346 needing intensive care, according to the state's pandemic response dashboard. COVID-19 patients now make up more than 30% of the 1,115 critically ill patients occupying 1,455 immediately available ICU beds.
Minnesota for weeks had been the hole in the doughnut — reporting average infection growth while being circled by five border states with the nation's worst rates — but no longer. Minnesota's rate of 1,171 new infections per million people per day on the COVID Exit Strategy website remains behind the Dakotas but comparable to the rates in Iowa and Wisconsin.
"Here in Minnesota, we have not seen anything like the numbers we are seeing," said Gov. Tim Walz, who planned to participate in a media briefing on Tuesday to show the human toll of the pandemic.
Also scheduled to participate are Dr. Jon Cole, an HCMC physician who suffered COVID-19 along with his family, and Dana and Joel Asche, whose teenage son has been hospitalized with the multisystem inflammatory syndrome that can occur when children are exposed to the virus.
Minnesota's totals in the pandemic have reached 2,943 COVID-19 deaths and 236,949 diagnosed infections. More than 80% of COVID-19 deaths have involved people 70 or older, and the majority have involved residents of long-term care facilities. Tuesday's reported deaths included 11 people who lived in private residences, 12 who lived in long-term care and three who were in behavioral health group homes.
State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm urged people to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus through a combination of mask-wearing, social distancing, staying home when sick and avoiding large crowds. While clinical trials have shown promise for a COVID-19 vaccine, she said initial distribution to health care workers and high-risk individuals is still months away and that broad public distribution won't be until late winter or early spring in 2021.
The state already took "dial back" steps last week to limit viral transmission opportunities by ordering bars and restaurants closed by 10 p.m. for anything but takeout service — based on evidence that larger outbreaks are more likely to occur in these later hours when patrons become less cautious.
