Minnesota Sets New High in Hospitalizations as COVID-19 Cases Surge

ST. PAUL, Minn.– The Coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across Minnesota as Governor Tim Walz and health experts in a press conference Friday urged Minnesotans to follow social distancing and health guidelines.

Minnesota set the record today with 1,424 people hospitalized with Coronavirus. As case numbers continue to climb during the state’s deadliest week.

Minnesota has seen over 12,500 cases over the last two days. This all comes as new restrictions go into effect tonight on bars and restaurants which will have to close by 10 p.m. nightly and limit their capacity to 50 percent and no more than 150 people inside.

71 percent of infections in Minnesota have been linked to social gatherings, and going to bars and restaurants. With nearly 250 people dying from the virus over the last week, the deadliest week from COVID-19 so far in Minnesota, the governor said the state is heading in the wrong direction.

“You cannot keep the economy open and you cannot get students and educators safely back into schools if you do not use the science to fight COVID-19,” said Walz.

The governor and state health experts have been talking with researchers from the Mayo Clinic to get an outlook on the future impacts from COVID-19. Not just on hospital capacity but to make sure there are enough healthcare providers to treat patients.

“Just the rate of increase that has really changed the picture,” said Jan Malcolm, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health. “The fact that there is so much community spread and we talked about that a lot too, just the fact that the exposures are happening in such a widespread ways.”

Health experts are continuing to advocate for more social distancing, mask wearing, and getting testing if you show symptoms as the concern grows with the high number of cases.

Minnesota recorded 51,000 COVID-19 tests yesterday, the most in a day. But experts say cases are going up faster than the testing capacity.