Watch CBS News

ICU Usage For COVID-19 Continues Downward, 25 More Deaths Reported

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- The Minnesota Department of Health has released figures for the last 24 hours of COVID-19 testing and infection in the state, and say that the state has in the last day seen 25 more deaths due to the disease, the highest figure in a week.

Minnesota health officials said Friday they're on alert after the number of the coronavirus cases in the state increased for the third straight day, following four straight days of declines. The state confirmed 490 new COVID-19 cases and 25 additional deaths in the last day. The update pushed the number of deaths of long-term care residents over 1,000.

The state's death toll is now at 1,274, with total positive cases numbering almost 30,000 since the start of the outbreak about three months ago. Additionally, the state lists 31 cases where COVID-19 was considered the probable cause on their death certificates, though there is no documentation of that in the testing data.

Since the start of the month, Minnesota's hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been trending downward, as has ICU bed usage. This week saw ICU bed usage for COVID-19 patients reach its lowest figure in over a month.

The number of completed tests is almost 400,000, and may have already surpassed that figure with the delay in some test results being added to the total.

More than 25,000 people have recovered and no longer need to be in isolation.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said she's "anxiously awaiting the data" regarding the uptick in cases. She added that it's not an unusual pattern for the last month and the state has increased its testing capacity.

Kris Ehresmann, the state's infectious disease division director, said officials are monitoring other states that have seen increases in cases after re-opening. She said officials have created a list of "dial-back indicators' and can adjust quickly if "things move in the wrong direction."

RELATED: The Travel Bug Bites Again As COVID-19 Restrictions Loosen

For most of the past week, daily recorded infections have been below 500. However, the concern over a potential second spike in cases because of large protests in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd continues to loom in health experts' minds. Earlier this week, the heath department urged protesters to get tested at sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul offering free tests.

This week, a number of businesses that have been effectively shut down since March reopened as Minnesota moved to Phase III of its reopening plans.

The vast majority of Minnesota's COVID-19 deaths have been in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

After a months-long wait, the Minnesota Department of Health has released the most detailed picture yet of what's happening inside some of these homes. The data includes the names of each facility in the state with at least one COVID-19 case, along with how many have died from the virus, and the number of sick staff.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue