Minnesota COVID-19 deaths hit 4-month low - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Health officials credit better control of the virus in long-term care facilities as well as better treatments for the disease, but say recent jumps in the number of cases could bring increased death counts in coming months.

Health officials last week noted a worrisome sign involving cases among workers in long-term care facilities, and there are concerns the virus might spread faster as schools start to reopen.

On Saturday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported six new deaths, including three among residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Statewide, 1,606 people have died from the virus, including 1,226 deaths in long-term care or assisted living residents.

More testing of long-term care patients and staff, as well as improved efforts to isolate cases and control the spread in the facilities, help explain the relatively low number of COVID-19 deaths in July, Jan Malcolm, state health commissioner, said during a Friday call with reporters.

The Health Department reported Saturday a net increase of 731 new coronavirus infections, taking the seven-day average for new cases to about 700 per day.

A related concern, she added, is last week's one-day increase of 83 cases in long-term care facilities, including 64 cases among health care workers.

On Friday, the Health Department reported the number of long-term care facilities with at least one confirmed case had increased to 170, up from 159 the previous week.

"That's what we've seen around the country and around the world — as cases go up, then hospitalizations go up and deaths go up trailing both of those," said Dr.

Since the first case was reported in Minnesota in early March, hospital stays have been required in 5,208 cases, although most patients don't need that level of care.