Minnesota Reports 5,454 New COVID-19 Cases, Another Record High

From the Minnesota Reformer:

By Rilyn Eischens

November 6, 2020

Minnesota reported 5,454 confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday, the state’s fourth consecutive record-breaking day for new cases.

The new daily highs come amid a bleak month for Minnesota, with hospitalizations and deaths rising along with case totals. More than 1,000 Minnesotans are hospitalized with COVID-19, another record-breaking figure, according to Minnesota Department of Health data.

ICUs across the state were at 98% capacity in the metro and 92% elsewhere on Wednesday, forcing some health care systems to move patients between hospitals and decline transfers from hard-hit communities in Wisconsin and North Dakota, the Star Tribune reported.

Cases are growing fastest in northwestern Minnesota, likely driven by the ongoing outbreak in North Dakota, MPR reported.

The state also reported a record-high 36 deaths Thursday, bringing the death toll to 2,591.

“Minnesota is in a bad spot,” Kris Ehresmann, Minnesota Department of Health infectious disease director, said Wednesday. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..