New COVID-19 case counts remain elevated in region Thursday

The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·1 min read

Aug. 5—MANKATO — South-central Minnesota counties combined for 29 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, an uptick from the previous day.

Area counties had 26 new cases confirmed on Wednesday. The cases were spread across eight counties on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Thursday's total included nine cases in Blue Earth County, the most in the region. Waseca County's recent jump in cases continued with six more confirmed.

Brown County was the only one in the region without any new cases Thursday. The full list of new cases by county includes:

* Blue Earth County — 9

* Waseca County — 6

* Nicollet County — 4

* Le Sueur County — 4

* Watonwan County — 2

* Faribault County — 2

* Sibley County — 1

* Martin County — 1

Due to vaccines, COVID-19 death counts have so far been staying relatively steady statewide despite cases rising. Minnesota had five more deaths linked to the illness Thursday, raising the state's pandemic death toll to 7,688.

Follow Brian Arola @BrianArola