However, health officials believe that the limited testing for COVID-19 could be identifying as few as 1 percent of all cases.

“Multiply the confirmed cases by 100,” Stefan Gildemeister, the state’s health economist, said Friday. “That’s where we expect to be.” That puts the high estimate at 133,600 cases in the state.

Gildemeister said officials arrived at that estimate by looking at the number of reported deaths from COVID-19, which are much more noticeable than the number of cases, then working backward to estimate “how many infected patients does it really take” to get that number of deaths.

Thousands of Minnesotans experiencing flu-like symptoms haven’t been able to get COVID-19 tests amid a national shortage of testing materials.

The worst coronavirus outcomes are coming in congregate care facilities like nursing homes. Of the 57 people who’ve died to date, 36 were living in group care facilities; 82 such facilities in Minnesota now have at least one confirmed case of COVID-19.

More of the latest coronavirus statistics from Friday:

• 33,894 tests completed
• 317 total hospitalizations
• 143 people remain in the hospital; 64 in ICUs
• 15 percent of cases in health care workers
• 19 percent in congregate living settings
• 732 patients recovered

The state Senate’s top Republican, Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, continued his criticism of Gov. Tim Walz’s stay-at-home order extension and the overall scope of the governor’s plans to expand hospital facilities prior to an expected COVID-19 surge.

On Friday, Gazelka’s criticism focused on central Minnesota businesses’ worries over the order’s long-term economic damage.

“The resorts are scared because prior to this three-and-a-half additional weeks they were scared about the money not coming in, and now they’re very, very concerned,” he said.

Walz is standing by his decisions: “I’m tired of this. I’m frustrated by this. My heart breaks for the people who are worried about their economic well-being,” Walz said Thursday. “But you can’t get frustrated, go on a hunch and throw caution to the wind and pretend that our neighbors’ lives are somehow disposable.”