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Minnesota reported its highest number of daily cases during the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday with 3,165 new positive cases.

The total marked the first time the state has had over 3,000 new cases in one day, breaking the previous high the day before of 2,872 new cases.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the state has now had 145,465 cumulative cases, of which 125,052 no longer need to be in isolation.

The state also reported 738 hospitalizations, another single-day high, with 176 people in intensive care.

State health commissioner Jan Malcolm said during a media briefing Thursday that the surge in cases is not due to large-scale events but is being fueled by individual behavior.

“It’s driven by literally thousands of seemingly small decisions people are making every day without realizing the full impact those decisions are having on families, their neighbors and their community,” she said. “We’re seeing that these small, everyday gatherings and activities are leading to infections that are then spreading into long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, businesses and more.”

State officials said Thursday that case growth statewide had eclipsed 10% for the first time since July.

According to The COVID Tracking Project, the 7-day average of the positivity rate in Minnesota has risen over the past two weeks from 5.42% on Oct. 14 to 7.4% on Thursday.

The state also reported 18 new deaths from Anoka, Beltrami, Benton, Clay, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Polk, Ramsey, Sherburne and Washington counties. With exception of one person from Ramsey County who was between 55 and 59, all of the other people who died were 70 or older. Twelve resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities, and six lived in private residences.

The state has now had 2,437 cumulative deaths, of which 1,701 resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities.

The following are updates on area counties:

• Faribault County: seven new cases, 258 total cases

• Freeborn County: nine new cases, 727 total cases. The Freeborn County Public Health Department stated the county now has 79 active cases, and four people are hospitalized. 

The new cases included the following:

• One person under 10
• Two people between 10 and 20
• Two people in their 20s
• One person in their 30s
• Two people in their 40s
• One person in their 90s

• Mower County: seven new cases, 1,553 total cases

• Steele County: 17 new cases, 817 total cases

• Waseca County: five new cases, 950 total cases

The state reported 33,910 tests had been completed, including 32,850 PCR tests and 1,060 antigen tests.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

Minnesota COVID-19 cases, deaths

County	Total confirmed cases	Total probable cases	Total cases	Total deaths
Aitkin	212	2	214	2
Anoka	9,533	40	9,573	156
Becker	663	2	665	4
Beltrami	982	1	983	9
Benton	1,072	18	1,090	12
Big Stone	167	0	167	1
Blue Earth	2,136	0	2,136	7
Brown	365	0	365	3
Carlton	502	35	537	2
Carver	1,906	10	1,916	7
Cass	438	0	438	5
Chippewa	488	1	489	3
Chisago	1,187	4	1,191	2
Clay	2,591	0	2,591	45
Clearwater	143	0	143	1
Cook	20	0	20	0
Cottonwood	299	0	299	0
Crow Wing	1,207	1	1,208	22
Dakota	10,386	34	10,420	139
Dodge	420	0	420	0
Douglas	803	1	804	4
Faribault	258	0	258	0
Fillmore	284	0	284	0
Freeborn	727	0	727	5
Goodhue	681	1	682	11
Grant	109	0	109	4
Hennepin	36,023	103	36,126	997
Houston	249	0	249	2
Hubbard	468	1	469	5
Isanti	618	1	619	6
Itasca	806	0	806	17
Jackson	226	0	226	1
Kanabec	235	1	236	10
Kandiyohi	1,868	1	1,869	5
Kittson	54	0	54	0
Koochiching	177	0	177	5
Lac qui Parle	147	0	147	3
Lake	135	4	139	0
Lake of the Woods	46	1	47	1
Le Sueur	671	0	671	6
Lincoln	196	1	197	0
Lyon	1,042	2	1,044	6
Mahnomen	134	0	134	2
Marshall	161	0	161	1
Martin	637	0	637	18
McLeod	628	1	629	4
Meeker	370	0	370	3
Mille Lacs	467	4	471	18
Morrison	843	9	852	9
Mower	1,535	18	1,553	18
Murray	302	0	302	3
Nicollet	783	0	783	18
Nobles	2,366	2	2,368	18
Norman	141	0	141	0
Olmsted	3,449	0	3,449	30
Otter Tail	979	1	980	8
Pennington	221	1	222	1
Pine	594	2	596	0
Pipestone	372	0	372	17
Polk	867	17	884	5
Pope	174	0	174	0
Ramsey	14,853	113	14,966	377
Red Lake	83	1	84	2
Redwood	310	0	310	12
Renville	280	6	286	13
Rice	1,735	7	1,742	10
Rock	364	2	366	5
Roseau	347	18	365	0
Scott	3,657	9	3,666	36
Sherburne	1,889	10	1,899	24
Sibley	273	0	273	3
St. Louis	3,312	18	3,330	74
Stearns	6,420	58	6,478	50
Steele	817	0	817	3
Stevens	198	2	200	1
Swift	232	0	232	2
Todd	932	1	933	7
Traverse	61	0	61	0
Wabasha	428	0	428	1
Wadena	267	7	274	3
Waseca	950	0	950	10
Washington	6,470	20	6,490	74
Watonwan	585	0	585	4
Wilkin	148	0	148	4
Winona	1,362	0	1,362	19
Wright	2,819	6	2,825	16
Yellow Medicine	306	3	309	6
Unknown/missing	201	2	203	0