WILLMAR — Following record-high numbers Saturday, COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to surge in west central Minnesota.
There were 7,559 new cases of COVID reported Sunday in the state, including 88 new cases in Kandiyohi County.
There were 31 COVID-related deaths reported in the state, with five of those deaths in this region, including in Chippewa, Stearns and Swift counties.
The death in Chippewa County included an individual in the 50-54 age range and in Swift County the individual was in the 65-69 age range.
There were three deaths in Stearns County, including one aged 65-69, another 75-79 and one in the 95-99 age range.
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Most area counties saw increases in the number of cases.
Big Stone County had three new cases, Chippewa County had 11, Lac qui Parle had 12, Meeker County had 24, Pope County had 16, Redwood County had 15, Renville had one confirmed case and one probable case, Stearns County had 151 confirmed cases and four probable, Swift County had 15 cases and Yellow Medicine had nine cases.
Of the 7,559 new cases in the state, 7,383 were confirmed cases and there were 176 probable cases.
The state recently began reporting probable cases based on antigen testing. Confirmed cases are based on polymerase chain reaction tests.
That brings the state's cumulative total to 223,581, which includes 220,960 confirmed and 2,621 probable cases.
Of the cumulative number of cases, 17,724 of them are health care workers.
The additional 31 deaths in the state brings the current total to 2,905 deaths, including 2,861 from confirmed cases and 44 from probable cases.
Most of the deaths, 1,999, have occurred in long-term care or assisted living facilities, and 2,361 of the deaths were 70 years or older.
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The Minnesota Department of Health is also reporting that 172,873 of the state's reported positive cases no longer need to self-isolate.
So far in Minnesota, there have been approximately 3,421,682 completed tests, including 3,364,535 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and 57,147 antigen tests. And approximately 2,148,661 people have been tested since Jan. 20.
The information was included in the latest Minnesota Department of Health daily situation update , released at 11 a.m. daily. The data released are current as of 4 p.m. the day before.
The current number of COVID-19 cases among residents confirmed to reside in area counties includes:
The current number of COVID-19 confirmed cases — and probable if any — among residents confirmed to reside in area counties includes:
Big Stone County: 235; 1 probable
Chippewa County: 646; 2 probable
Kandiyohi County: 2,693; 5 probable
Lac qui Parle County: 240
Meeker County: 725; 2 probable
Pope County: 361
Redwood County: 533; 2 probable
Renville County: 492; 9 probable
Stearns County: 9,694; 189 probable
Swift County: 384
Yellow Medicine County: 454; 4 probable
(County of residence is confirmed during the case interview. The county residence data may not equal the total number of reported positive cases in a given day.)
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