MN Coronavirus Cases Pass 25,000; Protesters Should Get Tested

MINNESOTA — Lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus cases passed the 25,000-mark on Tuesday as the health department announced 310 new cases and 22 additional deaths across the state. Meanwhile, state health officials this week encouraged protesters to think about getting tested after attending crowded demonstrations.

While the danger of infection is generally lower outdoors, Jan Malcolm, state health commissioner, noted in a news briefing Monday that, "Obviously, we know that concentrated gatherings and loud talking, singing, yelling, you know all those those loud vocal expressions exacerbate the risk of spread."

While many protesters wear masks, it's yet to be seen whether these gatherings are driving the state toward a new spike, Malcolm said; she noted that since the virus' incubation period falls within 2 to 14 days since exposure, testing too early could produce false results. More guidance for protesters on testing is expected to released in the future, particularly on what protesters should do if they're asymptomatic but worried they could be carriers of the disease.

In response to multiple questions from reporters about a protest-related bump in cases, Malcolm said it was too early to tell: "I don't know that anyone has is in a position to make any specific prognostications about this but we think it's certainly a possibility."

Symptomatic patients remain the main target of the state's testing capacity. To date, 1,072 people have died, with the vast majority — 866 deaths, or 81 percent — coming from those living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

As of Tuesday, Minnesota's COVID-19 statistics:

Total positive: 25,508

• Total health care workers: 2,764

Total approximate number of completed tests: 258,747

• Total approximate number of completed tests from the MDH Public Health Lab: 23,832
• Total approximate number of completed tests from external laboratories: 234,915

Total cases requiring hospitalization: 3,134

• Hospitalized as of Tuesday: 537
• Hospitalized in ICU as of Tuesday: 248

Patients no longer needing isolation: 20,381

Deaths: 1,072

• Deaths among cases that resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities: 866

Newly Reported Cases By County:

• Aitkin — 2
• Anoka — 14
• Becker — 1
• Beltrami — 1
• Big Stone — 2
• Blue Earth — 3
• Carver — 4
• Cass — 3
• Clay — 3
• Crow Wing — 1
• Dakota — 19
• Faribault — 1
• Freeborn — 4
• Goodhue — 1
• Hennepin — 77
• Hubbard — 1
• Jackson — 1
• Kanabec — 1
• Kandiyohi — 1
• Lincoln — 1
• Lyon — 8
• Mille Lacs— 1
• Morrison — 1
• Mower — 9
• Nobles — 8
• Olmsted — 16
• Ramsey — 54
• Redwood — 1
• Rice — 7
• Scott — 6
• Sherburne — 7
• Stearns — 12
• Steele — 3
• Todd — 8
• Traverse — 1
• Washington — 11
• Watonwan — 2
• Wright — 8
• Unknown/missing — 3