MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota Department of Health on Tuesday reported 36 more deaths from COVID-19, and 988 new infections on a lower-than-normal testing volume.
The state’s totals now number 411,110 cases and 5,196 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
It was the first time since October that daily new cases fell below 1,000, likely due in part to testing sites closing during the Christmas holiday as well as possible delays in data. State health officials reported 7,742 samples processed — the lowest test volume since early September.
The health department sought Tuesday to encourage people to get tested, saying they are now accepting appointments for free testing in January at 21 community sites.
“This disease is spread by people who don’t even know they have it. We want people to get tested, even if they’re asymptomatic,” said MDH assistant commissioner Dan Huff. “If you have been working outside the home during this dial-back period, are a case contact or a young adult, you should get tested. By providing more options, we make it more likely that people will get tested and help us stop the spread of the virus.”
Over the past two weeks, the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Minnesota declined further, going from more than 65 on Dec. 14 to just over 41 on Monday, according to The COVID Tracking Project.
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