Minnesota’s infection and death rates remained relative flat while hospitalization rates grew Tuesday during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The state Department of Health reported another four COVID-19 fatalities and 606 new infections. Meanwhile, Minnesota added 26 patients to its hospitals Tuesday for 328 total with 159 in critical condition — the most patients in a month.
Minnesota has recorded between 600 and 700 new laboratory-confirmed infections each day since mid-July when cases started to climb. That’s roughly a dozen new infections each day per 100,000 residents.
Minnesota’s testing continues to be strong, averaging about 14,000 results per day since mid-July. Tuesday is typically the lowest volume test results day of the week and the state Department of Health recorded the results of 7,770 tests — the lowest daily total in about a month.
Most coronavirus infections are in the Twin Cities metro. Hennepin and Ramsey counties account for more than 25,200 of the state’s 57,162 cases and 1,081 of the 1,620 deaths.
But rural counties, often with meatpacking plants, have the highest number of cases per capita. Nobles County has nearly 80 cases per 1,000 residents and Watonwan and Mower counties have nearly twice the cases per capita as Hennepin County.
The majority of Minnesotans who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus, 50,426 patients or 88 percent of known patients, have recovered enough they no longer need to be isolated. State health officials have asked residents who’ve recovered COVID-19 to donate blood plasma to help develop treatments for the state’s sickest patients.
About 6 percent of Minnesota’s active COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized. The number of hospitalized patients previously peaked in mid-May at about 15 percent of active infections and health officials worry patients needing hospital care will continue to rise.
There are currently an estimated 4,800 patients fighting a COVID-19 infection at home.
The coronavirus continues to take the heaviest toll on Minnesotans who are older and who have pre-existing medical conditions. About 75 percent of the state’s fatalities have been residents of long-term care facilities.
Yet, the average age of infected patients has fallen from 44 years-old in May to 36 years-old in August. Residents in their 20s have the most cases, 13,488 infections, or about 24 percent of the state’s known cases.
Fewer than 20 Minnesotans under the age of 30 have died of COVID-19 and no school age resident has died of coronavirus complications here since the outbreak began.