MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- In the last 24 hours, Minnesota added 453 new cases of COVID-19 to its tally of infections and counted 13 more deaths.

The Minnesota Department of Health said Thursday that the state's death toll is now at 1,249, with 10 of the new fatalities having been residents in long-term care facilities. The vast majority of Minnesota's COVID-19 deaths have been in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Currently, 411 people are in Minnesota hospitals battling the disease, with 196 in intensive care. Since the start of the month, hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been trending downward. It's an encouraging sign as hospitals are again performing elective surgeries.

Since the start of the outbreak more than three months ago, 29,316 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Minnesota. Nearly 25,000 people have recovered and no longer need to be in isolation.

While daily test processing has hit record levels this month, the number of new daily COVID-19 cases has been dropping. Thursday's numbers mark the fourth time this week that daily recorded infections have been below 500.

Still, there's been concern recently of a possible looming spike in cases due to the large protests in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd. Earlier this week, the heath department urged protesters to get tested at sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul offering free tests.

Also on Thursday, the Labor Department announced that 1.5 million more American workers filed for jobless benefits last week, even as businesses continue to reopen across the country. In Minnesota, restaurants, bars, and gyms were able to reopen this week to indoor customers at reduced capacity. Earlier this month, salons and barber shops were able to reopen.