Here are the latest COVID-19 developments in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

ST PAUL, Minn. Friday, Oct. 23

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Jan Malcolm says hospitalizations in the state are climbing.

As of Friday, there are 565 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 across the state, with 160 of them in the ICU.

This is not as high as we saw in May but we are approaching the same number of hospitalizations as we saw earlier in the pandemic, Malcolm said Friday on a regular briefing call with members of the media.

The recent increase in test positivity and the gap between case growth and testing growth shows that there are very high levels of transmission across the state, Malcolm added.

Dr. Tai Mendenhall of the University of Minnesota Medical Reserve Corps joined the Friday briefing to talk about the mental health stressors on Minnesotans that may increase this upcoming winter.

This winter, he said, any normal sickness will be connected to a worry about Do I have COVID? and maybe even Am I going to die?

Mendenhall pointed out that people are losing some ways of coping this winter, for instance outdoor exercise. He said the holidays are bringing extra stress as well.

Mendenhall offered three suggestions to Minnesotans who are struggling this fall and winter:

Malcolm added that MDH is providing a free mental health hotline at 833-437-3466, in collaboration with several other organizations.

Dr. Ruth Lynfield, MDHs state epidemiologist, said to date 28 Minnesota children have been confirmed as having MIS-C, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.

This is a severe syndrome in children that is thought to be associated with SARS-CoV-2, Lynfield said.

Eighty-eight percent had antibodies that indicated COVID-19, and the rest had been exposed to COVID-19, Lynfield said. Fifty-seven percent required intensive care.

All had fever, more than 80% had gastrointestinal symptoms and more than 70% had evidence of heart involvement.

Fortunately all of these children are now home and we have not had any deaths, Lynfield said.

The age range of Minnesotas cases is 6 months to 16 years. Black and Hispanic children have been disproportionately affected, making up approximately 75% of cases, Lynfield said.

Although its rare, Lynfield said, any symptoms should be taken seriously because there is a high rate of critical illness.

New cases of COVID-19 continue their upward trend, according to numbers released Friday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

Health officials say 1,721 new cases of the virus were reported in the last day, bringing the state total to 129,863 since the pandemic began. The new cases were confirmed by the results of 26,742 tests (a combination of PCR and Antigen) processed in private and state labs.

Another 13 people have lost their lives to coronavirus, bringing Minnesota's total of fatalities to 2,314. Of those deaths 1,623, or 70%, occurred in long-term care or assisted living settings.

The running total of hospitalizations in Minnesota due to the virus now stands at 9,338 since the pandemic began, with 2,510 of those patients requiring care in the ICU. MDH says 114,679 people who at one time tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered to the point they no longer require isolation.

People between 20 and 24 remain the largest group of Minnesota's COVID cases by a large margin with 16,429, and one fatality. Those from 25 to 29 comprise 12,611 cases and three deaths, while 15 to 19-year-olds number 11,769 cases and zero deaths.

The largest grouping of fatalities involves those from 85 to 89, with 402 deaths in just 1,754 cases. That means 23% of people from this demographic who are diagnosed with coronavirus die from it.

Hennepin County continues to report the most COVID activity in the state with 33,310 cases and 981 deaths, while Ramsey County has recorded 13,782 cases and 357 fatalities. Dakota County has 9,541 cases and 137 deaths.

Cook County in northeastern Minnesota has the least COVID activity with only 12 cases and no fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic, while Kittson County reports 38 cases.

Minnesota health officials are reporting another day of over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases, a trend that continues to cause worry with state policy makers.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says 1,574 people tested positive over the past day, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 128,152 since the pandemic began. That number is confirmed through a combination of PCR and Antigen tests.

An additional 20 people have died of coronavirus, bringing state fatalities to 2,301. Of those deaths 1,621, or 70% have occurred in long-term or assisted living settings.

MDH says 113,976 people who at one time tested positive for the virus have recovered to the point they no longer require isolation.

Hospitalizations across the state now total 9,226 since COVID-19 arrived in Minnesota, with 2,485 of those patients needing care in the ICU.

Those between the ages of 20 and 24 account for Minnesota's largest group of COVID cases with 16,285 and one fatality. People from 25 to 29 make up 12,451 cases and three fatalities, while the age group from 15 to 19 makes up 11,641 cases and zero deaths.

MDH says people between 85 and 89 account for the largest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single age group, with 399 in just 1,734 confirmed cases.

Hennepin County has the most COVID activity, reporting 33,024 confirmed cases and 980 deaths. Ramsey County has 13,609 confirmed cases and 355 deaths, while Dakota County reports 9,467 cases, 136 of them fatal.

Cook County in northeastern Minnesota has the least COVID activity with 11 cases and zero deaths, while Kittson County in far northwest Minnesota reports just 37 cases.

KARE 11s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, find outwhat you need to know about the Midwest specifically, learn more about thesymptoms, and see what businesses are open as the state slowly lifts restrictions. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: http://www.kare11.com/give11.

The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.

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