Minnesota

Death rates for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have decreased in Minnesota since the start of the pandemic, as doctors have gained new drugs and understanding of how to treat the infectious disease. A COVID-Net report provided this week by the Minnesota Department of Health examined outcomes of 4,356 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 through July and…

In the absence of any state or federal order, mayors and city councils around Minnesota are passing local requirements to wear masks while indoors to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Already this week, the cities of Winona, Rochester, Mankato and Edina have enacted mask requirements, and similar mandates will be debated…

The number of Minnesotans receiving intensive hospital care for COVID-19 jumped by nine Friday, the largest single-day increase in more than a month. The increase comes as government leaders across the country are taking steps to prevent new transmissions and curb a national spike in new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, which are now surpassing 50,000 a…

The owner of a Mankato bar that was identified by state health officials as contributing to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in young adults defended his establishment Saturday, saying he has employed aggressive measures to keep patrons from contracting the virus. Steve Wegman, owner of the 507, said he’s invested in masks, gloves and…

Six more people have died of COVID-19 in Minnesota, health officials reported Saturday, as new test results pushed the number of confirmed cases statewide to more than 35,000. The number of hospitalized patients declined significantly, dropping from 335 on Friday to 300 patients at Saturday’s data release from the Minnesota Department of Health. While weekly…