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WILLMAR — The number of new COVID-19 cases in west central Minnesota this week was nearly the same as the week before.
In the area, 499 new cases were reported in the past week. The week before it was 506.
More than half of the new cases this week, 281, were reported in Stearns County, the largest among the 11 counties followed by the West Central Tribune. The second-largest county, Kandiyohi, reported 44 new cases.
The death of a person in the 45-49 age category was reported in Stearns County, and the death of a person aged 90-94 was reported in Renville County.
Case numbers reported in Health Department updates are preliminary and reflect positive test results reported to the state. At-home test results are not included.
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In the situation update from the Minnesota Department of Health , the state reported five newly reported deaths and 1,708 new cases Friday. The report is released five days a week at 11 a.m. and includes cases reported as of 4 a.m. the previous business day.
The state's cumulative number of cases is now 1,546,698, which includes 1,467,858 total people testing positive and 78,840 reinfections. The state reports the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 again more than 90 days after an initial lab-confirmed positive test.
The state’s current total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 is now at 12,780, which includes 36 more deaths than a week ago. Of that total, 5,845 deaths, 45.7%, have occurred in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
In a report of its response capacity to the pandemic, the Health Department reported that 33 people with COVID-19 were in ICUs across the state as of Thursday, and 360 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized but not in an ICU. The number of hospitalizations has hovered around 400 for several weeks.
The state also reports the hospital capacity of adult and pediatric beds. Of the state's eight pediatric ICU units, three reported having zero staffed beds available. Of 36 non-ICU pediatric units, 19 hospitals, 53%, said they had zero staffed non-ICU pediatric beds available.
Of 68 adult ICUs , 30 of them, 44%, said they had zero staffed beds available. Of 130 non-ICU hospitals , 38 hospitals, 29%, said they had staffed zero beds.
Since the start of the pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases among residents confirmed to reside in area counties and the number of deaths includes:
- Big Stone County : 1,463 cases; 9 deaths
- Chippewa County : 3,252 cases; 48 deaths
- Kandiyohi County : 14,012 cases; 141 deaths
- Lac qui Parle County : 1,832 cases; 29 deaths
- Meeker County : 6,189 cases; 75 deaths
- Pope County : 3,346 cases; 18 deaths
- Redwood County : 4,093 cases; 54 deaths
- Renville County : 3,904 cases; 57 deaths
- Stearns County : 53,581 cases; 373 deaths
- Swift County : 2,376 cases; 33 deaths
- Yellow Medicine County : 2,670 cases; 29 deaths
The state also reports daily vaccine administration numbers. As of Friday's report, 3,924,484 Minnesotans have received at least one dose and 3,730,471 have completed the vaccine series statewide. The number of people listed as being up-to-date with their vaccines, meaning they have had booster shots, is 1,690,958.
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The vaccine data web page is updated at 11 a.m. weekdays, but there is a delay between a vaccine being given and when it is reported to the Minnesota Department of Health.
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