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Mower County reported almost 50 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, in what was the largest daily increase for area counties since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Minnesota Department of Health reported the county had 49 new cases, pushing Mower County’s total COVID-19 cases to 303.

Freeborn County had seven new cases confirmed and has now had 115 cases.

The Freeborn County Public Health Department said of the county’s total cases, 77 people are out of isolation and recovering from their illness. Four people are presently hospitalized. 

The new cases included one person in their 20s, five in their 30s and one in their 50s.

The state department said Faribault County had three new cases, increasing its total to 18, and Steele County had eight new cases, pushing its total to 159. Waseca County had no new cases and has had 26 cases.

Statewide, there were 660 newly reported cases, pushing the state’s total to 24,190. Of that total, 17,864 are out of isolation.

Deaths increased by 30 to 1,026, including people from Anoka, Clay, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Nobles and Ramsey counties.