Minnesota Virus Cases Climb Above 7,000 for First Time

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday reported 7,228 new cases of the coronavirus, shattering the single-day record set just last week by more than 1,000 cases as the virus continues its unrelenting spread throughout the state.

Minnesota health officials reported 39 deaths on Thursday, second only to the 56 deaths reported the day before. The state has now had 201,795 total cases and 2,793 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

As communities all over the country experience outbreaks in recent weeks, Minnesota ranks ninth in the country for new cases per capita with 982.4 new cases per 100,000 people in Minnesota over the past two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

The continued case growth has state officials and health care workers concerned about hospital capacity as hospitalizations due to complications from the virus typically follow an increase in cases.

There are 1,299 people hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 related symptoms, according to The COVID Tracking Project.