Here are the latest updates from April 18, 2020:
2,213 confirmed cases; 121 deaths
Another 10 people have died of COVID-19 in Minnesota, state health officials said Saturday. The coronavirus has now killed 121 people in the state. Those who died were:
- An Anoka County resident in their 70s
- A Hennepin County resident in their 90s
- Two Hennepin County residents in their 80s
- Two Hennepin County residents in their 70s
- Two Hennepin County residents in their 60s
- A Hennepin County resident in their 50s
- A St. Louis County resident in their 80s
Nine of the people who died — all but the Anoka County case — were residents of long-term care facilities. Of the 121 Minnesotans dead from COVID-19, most have been in assisted living.
The state Department of Health also reported 143 new confirmed cases of coronavirus. Now 2,213 people have tested positive for COVID-19, though because Minnesota lacks testing capacity for all who have symptoms, the number of people with the virus is assumed to be significantly higher.
The Health Department says 561 people have been hospitalized since the outbreak began, with 239 people currently in the hospital and 111 in intensive care. The state reported 106 people in the ICU on Friday.
Of the 2,213 confirmed positive cases in Minnesota, 1,118 no longer need to be in isolation because they have recovered. A total of 44,368 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Minnesota.
More information on cases can be found here.
Today on MinnPost
- D.C. Correspondent Gabe Schneider on what Minnesota’s congressional offices are hearing from constituents during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Five more things to watch, read and play while you shelter in place.
- Asking yourself how long it’s been since this all started? Us too.
- As always, a look at the numbers on the MinnPost COVID-19 dashboard.
Around the web
- More women in Michigan are turning to midwives during the coronavirus pandemic to avoid a trip to the hospital. But insurance doesn’t cover the service, which means it carries a high price, reports the Detroit Free Press and Bridge Magazine.
- Contamination at CDC lab delayed rollout of coronavirus tests, reports the Washington Post.
- Executives at the Carnival cruise company knew they had a virus problem. Yet, as Bloomberg reports, they kept the party going.
- From ProPublica: Internal documents show federal agencies supported the WHO before Trump was against it.
MDH’s coronavirus website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
Hotline, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.: 651-201-3920
