Positive COVID-19 cases in Kandiyohi County increase to 383

A coronavirus graphic. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

By Mark Wasson

May 13, 2020 at 10:57 AM

WILLMAR — Kandiyohi County now has 383 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 16 reported the day before.

The new number was released Wednesday in the 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.

Minnesota now has 12,917 positive cases, with 431 newly reported cases.

Out of those positive cases, 1,532 are health care workers.

Statewide, there were 24 new deaths reported, bringing the total to 638 . Most of the deaths, 517, have occurred in long-term care or assisted living facilities. There are nine probable COVID-19 deaths, meaning COVID-19 is listed on the death certificate but a positive test was not documented for the person.

The data on probable deaths is one of several changes to the daily update that were announced Tuesday by the department.

Approximately 93% of fatalities have been older than 60 years old, with 82% having been 70 years or older.

Stearns County now has 1,558 positive cases, an increase of 46 from Tuesday's report, Chippewa County increased by five cases, totaling 26, Swift County now has 10 confirmed cases, an increase of one.

According to the report, five other area counties did not see an increase, including Meeker County with 23 cases, Big Stone County with two cases, Lac qui Parle County, which has two cases, Renville County with six, and Yellow Medicine County with three cases.

Stearns County death total is now seven, an increase of one. Other than one prior confirmed death in Kandiyohi County, there have been no new reported deaths related to COVID-19 in the surrounding counties.

There are 494 COVID patients currently in hospitals, 199 of them being treated in ICUs.

Minnesota Department of Health is also reporting that 8,787 of the state's reported positive cases no longer need to be isolated. Subtracting the 638 deaths that are included in that number, 8,149 people who tested positive have left isolation.

So far in Minnesota, there have been approximately 122,035 completed tests since Jan. 20.

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By Mark Wasson

Mark Wasson has been a public safety reporter with Post Bulletin since May 2022. Previously, he worked as a general assignment reporter in the southwest metro and as a public safety reporter in Willmar, Minn. Readers can reach Mark at mwasson@postbulletin.com.