Three area residents die of COVID-19; weekly case totals decline

Oct. 22—MANKATO — South-central Minnesota had three more COVID-19 deaths confirmed Friday, raising its October death toll to 34.

The deaths occurred in two Nicollet County residents between 75-79 years old and 80-84 years old and a Watonwan County resident between 85-89, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. They were among 22 confirmed COVID-19 deaths statewide, bringing Minnesota's pandemic death toll to 8,537.

October is already the third deadliest month for COVID-19 in the south-central region since the pandemic began.

The 34 confirmed deaths in area counties so far this month raised the region's pandemic toll to 313. The last month with more COVID-19 deaths was December 2020, which had 58 fatalities.

Nicollet County's pandemic death toll rose to 54. Watonwan County has had 12.

This month's spike in deaths, fueled by the more contagious delta variant, followed a trend of rising case counts dating back to July. The COVID-19 death rate among unvaccinated Minnesotans skyrocketed starting in July, while the death rate among vaccinated Minnesotans stayed flat, according to data released this week.

The nine-county region's case totals declined last week and this week, offering hope that the uptick in deaths will slow down in coming weeks. Death trends are typically tied to case trends from several weeks ago.

Area counties combined for 745 newly confirmed cases during the week of Oct. 16 and Friday, a 20% decrease, according to health department data. The prior week had 932 new cases, which was a 10% drop from the week before.

Before the most recent two weeks, the region had upticks in new cases in 13 of the 14 weeks leading up to them.

All nine counties had fewer new cases this week compared with last week. The drops ranged from 2% fewer cases in Brown County to 33% fewer cases in Sibley County.

Blue Earth County went from 188 to 163 new cases, a 13% decline. Nicollet County had a drop from 133 to 106 new cases, or 20%.

Newly confirmed cases in area schools contributed to the two counties' totals.

Mankato Area Public Schools reported 20 cases among students and staff between last Friday and Thursday. That's down from 24 cases the prior week.

Thirteen of the new cases were at early childhood programs and elementary schools, continuing a trend of more cases being reported at those levels than at the middle and high schools.

St. Peter Public Schools reported four active cases, all of them among students, as of Tuesday. Two were at North Elementary School and one occurred at both the middle and high schools.

A total of 71 new cases confirmed in area counties Friday also added to the region's weekly total. It was a dip from the 136 cases confirmed one week ago.

The full list of new cases confirmed by county Friday is as follows:

* Blue Earth County — 19

* Brown County — 16

* Nicollet County — 12

* Sibley County — 9

* Le Sueur County — 7

* Faribault County — 4

* Watonwan County — 2

* Martin County — 1

* Waseca County — 1

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