Tri-County Area Reports Six COVID-19 Deaths Wednesday

ST. PAUL -- Stearns and Sherburne counties accounted for 6 of the 43 reported deaths due to COVID-19 Wednesday. Stearns County reported 4 deaths and Sherburne County had 2.

Statewide there were 1,598 new cases of the virus.

Stearns County added 33 new cases for a total of 17,686 since the pandemic began. Sherburne County had 21 new cases for a total of 8,123 and Benton County added 22 new cases for a total of 4,148.

Nearly 442,000 Minnesotans have contracted the virus with approximately 21,000 people remaining in self-isolation.

The state's death toll is 5,817 with hospitalizations surpassing 23,000 and ICU patients nearing 5,000 since the pandemic began.

Minnesota has now surpassed 6-million completed COVID-19 tests.