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State health officials talk COVID-19’s impact on care facilities

47 long-term care facilities have reported cases so far

ST. PAUL — State health officials offered more information Thursday on the number of cases of COVID-19 being reported at long-term care facilities in Minnesota. During a media briefing with Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said 47 facility residents and 22 staff members statewide had tested positive for COVID-19.

Out of the 18 deaths from COVID-19 reported in Minnesota so far, 11 were residents in long-term care facilities, Malcom said.

Malcolm said officials are working on making more information about COVID-19 outbreaks in care facilities available to the public. Facilities with more than 10 beds that have positive COVID-19 cases will be named, she said. More information is expected to be released starting today or Saturday.

Malcolm said state health officials are trying to balance the need for privacy for residents of long-term care facilities and their families, with a desire for transparency.

So far, there have been a total of 47 congregate care facilities in Minnesota that have reported at least one case of COVID-19, Malcolm said. The majority of those facilities had only one confirmed case each. The largest cluster was in a long-term care facility with eight cases, she said.

During Thursday’s briefing, Walz said the state is also working to address the risk of COVID-19 spreading in Minnesota prisons.

“This is another one of those things that keeps me up at night,” Walz said. The main risk facing prisons is that it’s hard to practice social distancing in a confined space. “This is a tough situation.”

As of Thursday, Minnesota had a total of 742 positive cases of COVID-19. There are 75 people currently hospitalized, 38 of them in intensive care.

Out of the confirmed cases of COVID-19, there are 373 patients who have recovered and no longer need to be isolated, Malcom said.

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