Minnesota reported single-day records of COVID-19 hospitalizations and newly diagnosed infections on Thursday, marks that aren't likely to stand for long as the pandemic continues to spread, the state's health commissioner predicted.
The addition of 2,872 confirmed and probable infections and 32 deaths brought Minnesota's pandemic totals to 142,311 infections and 2,419 deaths. Daily infection totals have surpassed 2,000 four times in the past two weeks.
"Two thousand and more is becoming our new norm," Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said, "and I think we need to brace ourselves for days with bigger totals yet to come."
Most people infected by the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 suffer mild or no symptoms, but the rising volume of lab-confirmed cases increases the threat of it spreading to older people at greater risk, long-term care facilities with vulnerable populations, and health care workers who can't afford absences amid a pandemic.
State health officials said this week that they have been eyeing new strategies, including changes to further protect long-term care residents — who have suffered 70% of the state's COVID-19 deaths. Rapid testing will soon be targeted at asymptomatic young adults to track the unseen spread of the infection. New predictive modeling from the University of Minnesota also is coming soon to assess how changes in response to the pandemic could affect its growth.
On Thursday, though, health officials implored people to stick with the basics of mask-wearing, social distancing, covering coughs and staying home when sick to protect others around them.
"We know how that spread impacts and threatens so many sensitive areas of our society from hospitals and clinics to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities," said Kris Ehresmann, state infectious disease director. "This is a problem that requires the attention of each and every Minnesotan."
Infection numbers have increased somewhat due to broader molecular diagnostic testing, with the state opening its sixth free saliva-testing site in St. Cloud on Wednesday and its seventh in St. Paul on Friday. Rapid antigen testing is being used more as well, though its positive results are classified by the state as probable because of a slightly lower accuracy rate.