There are now 473 Minnesotans being treated in the state’s hospitals as the coronavirus continues to spread.
The latest statistics from the Minnesota Department of Health Thursday for hospitalizations is an increase from the day before, when there were 461. It is the highest the number has been since a most recent infection wave in May. Of those reported Thursday, 121 were being treated in intensive care units.
Minnesotans requiring hospitalization has increased as the number of infections has grown. Health officials have urged residents to get vaccinated and maintain safety precautions such as masking in indoor public spaces as the delta variant has spread across the state.
Health officials reported eight additional deaths linked to the coronavirus Thursday and 1,355 new infections.
The deaths were in age groups ranging from 55 to 84. There were two in Hennepin County and one each in Anoka, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Olmsted and Wright counties. All eight lived in private homes.
Minnesota’s overall death toll from the virus has risen to 7,750, with another 93 listed on their death certificates has having died of COVID-19 but had not had a confirmed test.
The latest infections is based off 27,658 tests. There have now been 631,858 positive cases of the coronavirus detected in Minnesotans total. Of those, 614,302 have recovered to the point they no longer need to self-isolate.
The cases reported Thursday included:
- Hennepin County, 225 new cases.
- Dakota County, 83 new cases.
- Anoka County, 78 new cases.
- Ramsey County, 77 new cases
- Washington County, 66 new cases.
So far, 3,056,221 Minnesotans have completed the vaccine series; with 3,264,937 having gotten at least one shot.
