Mayo Clinic Helps Minnesota Erase Coronavirus Test Backlog

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The state of Minnesota has eliminated its backlog of coronavirus tests that were waiting to be processed, thanks in part to help from the Mayo Clinic.

State infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann says the Mayo Clinic stepped in to help process tests, and the state should now be able to get back to patients with their results much faster.

The priority will be to notify patients who test positive for the new virus first. Minnesota's number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus rose to 169 on Sunday, up 32 from a day earlier.