COVID-19 deaths reported in Chippewa, Kandiyohi and Stearns counties over the weekend

Shelby Lindrud, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·3 min read

Apr. 19—WILLMAR — Two individuals in their 60s from Kandiyohi County, along with a person in their 90s from Chippewa County and an individual from Stearns County in their 80s were four of the total 25 people who died from complications of COVID-19, reported in the Minnesota Department of Health updates over the weekend. Those deaths caused the statewide total of COVID-19 deaths to rise to 7,020.

New cases in the area also continued to go up, with 272 reported in the 11-county region. Stearns County had the most with 156, followed by Meeker County with 33. Kandiyohi County added 21 and Pope County had 14. Chippewa and Renville counties each had 13 new cases.

Yellow Medicine County had seven, Swift County added six and Big Stone County increased by five. Redwood County had three new cases and Lac qui Parle County only added one new case.

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The state's daily situation updates reported a total of 4,276 new cases statewide, bringing the cumulative total since the pandemic began to 556,381.

Of the cumulative number of cases, 40,490 of them have been among health care workers.

Most of the deaths, 4,332, have occurred in long-term care or assisted living facilities, and 5,785 of the people who died were 70 or older.

The information was included in the latest daily situation update from the Minnesota Department of Health, released at 11 a.m. daily. The data released are current as of 4 p.m. the day before.

Since the start of the pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases among residents confirmed to reside in area counties and the number of deaths includes:

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Big Stone County: 564 cases; 4 deaths

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Chippewa County: 1,465 cases; 37 deaths

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Kandiyohi County: 6,281 cases; 81 deaths

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Lac qui Parle County: 736 cases; 22 deaths

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Meeker County: 2,374 cases; 37 deaths

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Pope County: 1,030 cases; 6 deaths

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Redwood County: 1,663 cases; 35 deaths

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Renville County: 1,725 cases; 43 deaths

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Stearns County: 21,052 cases; 219 deaths

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Swift County: 1,000 cases; 18 deaths

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Yellow Medicine County: 1,108 cases; 19 deaths

The state is now also reporting daily vaccine administration numbers. As of Sunday's report, 2,274,426 people have received one dose and 1,600,887 have completed the vaccine series statewide, about 52 percent of the eligible population.

The percent of people who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in area counties ranges from 42 percent of residents in Meeker County to 63 percent in Big Stone County. To date, 45 percent of residents in Kandiyohi County have had at least one dose of the vaccine.

According to the figures available Sunday, the number of individuals who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in area counties includes:

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Big Stone: 2,568

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Chippewa: 4,563

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Kandiyohi: 15,141

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Lac qui Parle: 2,960

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Meeker: 7,542

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Pope: 4,588

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Redwood: 5,379

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Renville: 5,651

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Stearns: 57,063

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Swift: 3,985

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Yellow Medicine: 4,160

The vaccine data web page is updated at 11 a.m. daily, but it can take up to 48 hours for data to be reported to the state and processed.

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