STATE UPDATES
The Minnesota Department of Health reports 813 newly reported COVID-19 cases and 33 newly reported deaths, bringing the cumulative total to 19,005 cases and 842 deaths.
To date, 2,216 health care workers have at some point during the outbreak contracted the viral disease. Of those 842 deaths, 688 have been residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities.
Almost 181,000 Minnesotans have been tested, and 12,696 have recovered to the point they no longer need to be isolated.
As of today, there are 534 patients receiving inpatient care for COVID-19, and of those, 233 are in the ICU.
MEMORIAL DAY
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs will hold a virtual Memorial Day ceremony via Twin Cities PBS. Find out more here.
Camping at remote sites will be underway this Memorial Day weekend, the DNR says, and the phased reopening of the state’s developed campgrounds will begin June 1. Find out more here.
MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
Organizers of the Minnesota State Fair have decided to call off the Great Minnesota Get Together.
According to the Star Tribune, this is sixth time in history the Fair was canceled. The last cancelation was in 1946, amid the polio epidemic.
State Fair general manager Jerry Hammer has reportedly said in the past that there would either be a full fair, or no fair at all.
LOCAL UPDATES
Sanford Health officials confirmed Thursday that of the 1,130 tests administered as of 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon, ten tests have returned positive. Joy Johnson, VP of Nursing, said that the hospital has increased their testing numbers significantly.
Since there were only ten positives, and not all of them living in Beltrami County, Johnson believes there is not yet evidence of community spread.
Today, MDH reported one new case of COVID-19 in Beltrami County, but the number on the map remains at nine. Confirmation from Public Health is pending as of press time (11:09 a.m.)
