11-2 MN COVID-19 Update: Case Count Tops 2,000 for Fifth Consecutive Day

MN COVID-19 Update from the Minnesota Department of Health 11-2-2020

Read the 10-29-2020 COVID-19 Update from the Minnesota Department of Health Here

The Minnesota Department of Health will hold a conference call Monday, Nov. 2, to brief members of the media on the latest public health information regarding COVID-19. This is a summary of that call. 

MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm:

• Globally, 46.6 million cases since start of pandemic; 1.2 million deaths
• In U.S., 9.28 million cases since pandemic began; 231,000 deaths
• In Minnesota, 153,620 total confirmed cases (up 2,954 from 37,000-plus tests Sunday)
  • Case counts have topped 2,000 for five consecutive days
  • Record daily high was 3,154 cases set last Friday, Oct. 30.
  • Since Friday, Minnesota added more than 8,000 cases
• Of the 153,620 cases, 132,125 (86%) are no longer considered infectious.
• In Minnesota, 2,484 total deaths (up 9).
• Age breakdown of new deaths: 2 in 50s, 1 in 60s, 2 in 70s, 1 in 80s, 3 in 90s
  • 2 of the 9 deaths in Hennepin County
  • 5 of the 9 deaths at long-term care facilities
• Over the past week hospitalizations in Minnesota have gone up 25% to 748 patients currently
  • Hospital capacity is holding up, but may not always be that way
  • Frontline workers getting sick from community spread, could contribute to ICU bed shortage due to staffing shortage issues
• Change in cases almost double the growth in testing
• 7-day case positivity rate now at 8.1% (rate has a one-week lag period, doesn’t include record high cases of the past week)
• 95 total workplace outbreaks from week of Oct. 24, including a wide variety at manufacturing plants, as well as offices and retail. Workplace outbreaks just includes employees, not customers/patrons who may have come into contact with the workers.
• 172 investigations at 161 bars and restaurants for COVID-19 that include total of 3,185 primary cases.
  • 74 establishments met the outbreak threshold of at least 7 cases
• Brunch with friends, happy hours with a few people, weddings where people let guard down, all sorts of activities contributing to spread. This “silent spread” getting into schools, long-term care facilities.

MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann:

• 9 Minnesota counties above 10% test positivity
• “People often say if you test more, you’re going to find more cases,” she said, “but it’s the sheer fact that we have so much virus circulating in our state.”
• “Minnesota is in a bad spot due to rapid community spread of COVID-19,” said Ehresmann. “And it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Q&A Session and Notes:

• On compared to Wisconsin, a lot of decisionmaking has been at local level in border state. Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to hear case on lawsuit that could strike down Governor Evers’ emergency powers. “It’s not a competition between the states,” said Ehresmann. Wisconsin has fared worse recently, but Minnesota ticking upward.
• Malcolm mentioned continuing to discuss guidance limits in Minnesota Governor Walz’s executive orders, such as whether capacity restrictions are too high or too low at places like churches, funerals, operators of venues, etc.
  • “We need people to follow the guidance themselves,” said Ehresmann, noting it’s not necessarily the host location that’s the problem.
• “We’re continuously bringing on new staff to assist with the process,” said Ehresmann, referring to contact tracing.
  • 35% have been reluctant to share details through contact tracing with MDH.
  • Reluctancy has grown as pandemic wears on.
• “We’re very concerned about what we see happening at our corrections facilities,” said Ehresmann, noting outbreak at Stillwater prison.

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