Area COVID-19 cases still climbing, with 16 deaths and nearly 1,800 new cases reported in past week

Linda Vanderwerf, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·5 min read

Dec. 11—WILLMAR — Regional counties reported 16 deaths and nearly 1,800 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, according to updates from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Most of the new cases were in Stearns County. During the course of the pandemic, 22.2% of the county's residents have tested positive for the coronavirus.

In Kandiyohi County, nearly one-quarter of the population has tested positive, 23.7%. That is the highest percentage in the area.

New cases in the past week in the 11 counties tracked by the West Central Tribune: Big Stone, 18; Chippewa, 53; Kandiyohi, 249; Lac qui Parle, 22; Meeker, 125; Pope, 25; Redwood, 64; Renville, 48; Stearns, 1,091; Swift, 47; and Yellow Medicine, 47.

Stearns County reported eight deaths including two people in the 55-59 age category, one person age 60-64, two people age 70-74 and three people age 75-79.

Kandiyohi County reported four deaths including one person age 65-69, two people age 70-74 and one person age 75-79.

Three other counties reported one death each — One person age 80-84 in Big Stone County, one person age 75-79 in Lac qui Parle County and one person age 70-74 in Redwood County.

In the situation update from the Minnesota Department of Health, the state reported 58 newly reported deaths and 4,554 new cases Friday. The report is released five days a week at 11 a.m. and includes cases reported as of 4 a.m. the previous business day.

The state's cumulative number of cases is now 956,779, which includes 945,486 total people testing positive and 11,293 reinfections. The state reports the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 again more than 90 days after an initial lab-confirmed positive test.

The state's current total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 is now at 9,872, which includes 256 more deaths than a week ago. Of that total, 5,036 deaths, 51%, have occurred in long-term care or assisted living facilities.

In a report of its response capacity to the pandemic, the Health Department reported that 338 people with COVID-19 were in ICUs across the state as of Thursday, and 1,340 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized but not in an ICU. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is about 160 fewer than at the peak of the fall 2020 surge of case, when vaccines were not yet available.

The state also reports the hospital capacity of adult and pediatric beds. Of the state's eight pediatric ICU units, three reported having zero beds available. Of the 36 non-ICU pediatric units reporting, 20 hospitals, 56%, said they had zero non-ICU pediatric beds available.

Of 68 adult ICUs reporting, 59 of them, 87%, said they had zero beds available. Of 130 non-ICU hospitals reporting, 57 hospitals, 44%, said they had zero beds.

Since the start of the pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases among residents confirmed to reside in area counties, the number of deaths and the percentage of the population which has tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic includes:

The state also reports daily vaccine administration numbers. As of Friday's report, 3,689,184 Minnesotans have received one dose and 3,435,045 have completed the vaccine series statewide. The number of fully vaccinated people is 53,435 higher than a week ago.

According to the figures available Friday, the percentage of individuals eligible to be vaccinated age 5 and over who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in area counties includes:

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Big Stone: 63.7%

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Chippewa: 59.8%

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Kandiyohi: 58.1%

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Lac qui Parle: 63.7%

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Meeker: 51.7%

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Pope: 59.6%

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Redwood: 57.3%

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Renville: 57.3%

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Stearns: 56.4%

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Swift: 59.5%

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Yellow Medicine: 56.1%

The vaccine data web page is updated at 11 a.m. weekdays, but there is a delay between a vaccine being given and when it is reported to the Minnesota Department of Health.

The state releases an updated list of school buildings that have reported five or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in students or staff who were in the building while infectious during a two-week reporting period.

Area school buildings on the list are as follows: MACCRAY Senior High, Clara City; MACCRAY West Elementary, Maynard; Montevideo Middle School; Montevideo Senior High; Community Christian School, Willmar; Lakeland Elementary, Willmar; Prairie Woods Elementary, New London; Willmar Area Learning Center; Kennedy Elementary, Willmar; Roosevelt Elementary, Willmar; Willmar Middle School; Willmar Senior High; Lac qui Parle Valley Secondary, Madison; Dawson-Boyd Secondary, Dawson; Stevens Elementary, Dawson; Eden Valley Secondary; ACGC Secondary, Grove City; Dassel Elementary; Lake Ripley Elementary, Litchfield; Litchfield Middle School; Litchfield Senior High; Minnewaska Area Elementary, Glenwood; Minnewaska Area Intermediate School, Glenwood; Minnewaska Secondary, Glenwood; Reede Gray Elementary, Redwood Falls; Redwood Valley Middle School, Redwood Falls; Redwood Valley Senior High, Redwood Falls; Buffalo Lake-Hector Elementary, Buffalo Lake; Renville County West Elementary, Renville; Eden Valley Elementary; Paynesville Area High School; Paynesville Elementary; Benson Secondary; Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Secondary, Kerkhoven; Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Elementary, Murdock; Northside Elementary, Benson; Bert Raney Elementary, Granite Falls; Canby Elementary; Yellow Medicine East Middle School, Granite Falls; and Yellow Medicine East High School, Granite Falls.

School buildings listed may not have ongoing transmission. If they have not reported a new case for 28 days, they are removed from the list. If five or more cases are reported again in the future, they will be placed on the list again.

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