ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota recorded another 57 deaths among people who contracted COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the state’s death toll to 5,107.
The Minnesota Department of Health reported 2,170 new cases of the coronavirus from tests that were completed on Thursday. The state has seen a drop in new cases in recent weeks, with the average number of new cases reported each day dropping by nearly 61% over the last two weeks. Health officials in the last week have seen an average of 1,788 new cases each day.
However, death reports from the virus have remained elevated. Deaths from the virus often lag behind spikes in cases like the one Minnesota saw in November. Residential facilities that care for the elderly have been particularly hard hit by virus deaths. People who live in long-term care or assisted living facilities accounted for 32 of the deaths reported Saturday and 65% of the state’s overall deaths.
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