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Minnesota on Tuesday reported its highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases thus far in the pandemic with 3,483 new cases. The positivity rate for tests also increased to 9%, an unwelcome sign that the disease is spreading rapidly in the state.

It’s just not one or two big events that have caused cases to rise rapidly, state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said.

“It’s the happy hour at the end of the long week with just a couple friends or brunch on the weekend with maybe a few cousins … It’s the weddings,” Malcolm said. “Everybody really tries hard during the ceremony to comply with the safety guidance and much of the reception, but as the night wears on, people start letting their guards down.”

The state has investigated 172 bar or restaurant outbreaks and identified 92 that likely generated seven or more infections. Eighty-two weddings have been linked to 756 infections.

The state has now had 157,096 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, of which 134,227 no longer need to be in isolation. The Minnesota Department of Health reported 852 people were hospitalized, including 197 in intensive care.

The state also reported 15 new deaths, including one in Mower County of a person between 85 and 89 years old. The death is the 20th for the county.

Other people who died were in Anoka, Carlton, Dakota, Douglas, Goodhue, Hennepin, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Nobles, Polk and Wadena counties. Seven resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities, and eight lived in private residences. The people who died ranged in age from 55 to over 100.

The state has now had 2,499 cumulative deaths, of which 1,741 resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities.

Freeborn County reported five new COVID-19 cases and has now had 780 cases, as one person was removed from the county’s list.

The Freeborn County Public Health Department stated 92 are considered active cases, and five people from the county are presently hospitalized.

The new cases included two people between 10 and 20, one person in their 50s, one person in their 60s and one person in their 70s.

Faribault County reported five new cases and has now had 277 total cases; Mower County had one new case and has had 1,597 total cases; Steele County had 15 new cases and has had 871 cases; and Waseca County had five new cases and has had 967 total cases.

 — The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

Minnesota COVID-19 cases, deaths

County	Total confirmed cases	Total probable cases	Total cases	Total deaths
Aitkin	247	2	249	4
Anoka	10,451	63	10,514	161
Becker	739	2	741	4
Beltrami	1,033	1	1,034	11
Benton	1,191	20	1,211	15
Big Stone	187	0	187	1
Blue Earth	2,254	0	2,254	7
Brown	422	0	422	3
Carlton	582	47	629	3
Carver	2,045	11	2,056	9
Cass	507	0	507	5
Chippewa	506	1	507	3
Chisago	1,393	12	1,405	2
Clay	2,762	0	2,762	46
Clearwater	167	0	167	1
Cook	27	0	27	0
Cottonwood	329	0	329	0
Crow Wing	1,397	2	1,399	22
Dakota	11,141	43	11,184	141
Dodge	450	0	450	0
Douglas	898	1	899	5
Faribault	277	0	277	0
Fillmore	310	1	311	0
Freeborn	780	0	780	5
Goodhue	796	1	797	13
Grant	118	0	118	5
Hennepin	38,141	131	38,272	1,006
Houston	269	0	269	2
Hubbard	534	1	535	5
Isanti	687	2	689	7
Itasca	896	0	896	17
Jackson	248	0	248	1
Kanabec	257	1	258	10
Kandiyohi	1,987	1	1,988	5
Kittson	78	0	78	0
Koochiching	187	0	187	5
Lac qui Parle	158	0	158	3
Lake	145	6	151	0
Lake of the Woods	53	2	55	1
Le Sueur	721	1	722	6
Lincoln	211	1	212	0
Lyon	1,098	2	1,100	6
Mahnomen	140	0	140	2
Marshall	204	0	204	1
Martin	659	0	659	18
McLeod	698	1	699	4
Meeker	398	0	398	4
Mille Lacs	534	4	538	21
Morrison	964	10	974	9
Mower	1,579	18	1,597	20
Murray	321	0	321	3
Nicollet	829	0	829	18
Nobles	2,473	2	2,475	20
Norman	155	0	155	0
Olmsted	3,734	1	3,735	30
Otter Tail	1,078	2	1,080	8
Pennington	239	1	240	2
Pine	636	7	643	1
Pipestone	397	0	397	17
Polk	1,046	24	1,070	6
Pope	187	0	187	0
Ramsey	15,725	128	15,853	384
Red Lake	94	1	95	2
Redwood	340	0	340	12
Renville	312	7	319	13
Rice	1,814	9	1,823	12
Rock	399	3	402	6
Roseau	376	36	412	0
Scott	4,002	11	4,013	37
Sherburne	2,126	14	2,140	24
Sibley	295	0	295	3
St. Louis	3,598	20	3,618	75
Stearns	6,871	75	6,946	53
Steele	874	0	874	4
Stevens	209	2	211	1
Swift	256	0	256	2
Todd	1,022	1	1,023	7
Traverse	63	0	63	0
Wabasha	459	0	459	1
Wadena	311	7	318	4
Waseca	967	0	967	10
Washington	7,316	24	7,340	75
Watonwan	602	0	602	4
Wilkin	155	0	155	4
Winona	1,463	0	1,463	19
Wright	3,133	12	3,145	16
Yellow Medicine	342	3	345	7
Unknown/missing	239	5	244	0