Update 4:00 PM:
Minnesota has topped 10,000 total confirmed COVID-19 deaths, while hospitals around the state continue to delay surgeries as the coronavirus patients crowd those facilities.
The state Department of Health today (Wed) reported 54 new deaths due to the virus, lifting the total fatalities to 10,018 since the start of the pandemic.
Another 124 deaths were likely because of COVID-19 but weren’t confirmed by testing.
A pandemic wave caused by a fast-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus this fall hastened the toll.
It took 187 days from March to September to increase from 7,000 to 8,000 deaths, 58 days to reach 9,000 and 39 days to reach 10,000.
Meanwhile, doctors say hospitals have deferred procedures to free up beds, leaving some patients in prolonged pain.
AP
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Original story:
Minnesota health officials say the state has passed the 10,000 mark in COVID-19-related deaths.
Today’s (Wed’s) total of 54 new deaths bring the death toll to 10,018 since the pandemic began.
The CDC says 75 percent of all Minnesota deaths have been among those 65 and older with 21 percent among those 45 to 64.
The state reports 2,231 new cases. Minnesota’s total positive cases are at 971,667.
Minnesota has 1,645 people hospitalized with COVID, including 371 in ICU.
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North Dakota reports 441 new cases today (Wed) including 34 in Grand Forks County.
The state has 2,514 active cases … 200 of them in Grand Forks County.
North Dakota reports 158 people hospitalized with COVID… 18 in ICU.
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