MDH reports a record-breaking 101 new COVID-19 deaths, 5,704 new cases reported

The Minnesota Department of Health on Friday reported a record-breaking 101 new deaths from COVID-19, as well as 5,704 newly reported positive COVID-19 tests.

According to MDH, because of the holiday, the numbers released Friday reflect the data as of Wednesday. Numbers for Thursday and Friday are expected to be released Saturday.

Gov. Tim Walz issued the following statement on the update Friday:

"This Thanksgiving, many Minnesotans set their holiday table smaller than they normally do. Many chose to do so to protect their family from the spread of COVID-19. But for the more than 3,000 families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, it wasn’t a choice. Those chairs will always remain empty."

"As we hit this somber milestone, we owe those families a promise. We must promise them that their loved ones did not die in vain. We must honor them by fighting this virus at every turn. We must redouble our efforts to protect one another."

Of the 5,704 newly reported cases, 171 of them are noted as probable cases, according to MDH. A total of 5,637 probable cases have been reported since antigen testing began in September.

So far, 3,476 people have died of the coronavirus in Minnesota. Sixty-six of those deaths are also listed as probable COVID-19 deaths. Of the total deaths reported as of Friday, 2,355 were in long-term care facilities.

To date, 16,043 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized in Minnesota and 3,638 patients have been in the ICU.

According to MDH, the newly reported positive COVID-19 cases in Minnesota reported on Friday moved the state’s total to 295,001 cases since pandemic record-keeping began.

A total of 244,982 patients have recovered, or are recovering, and no longer need isolation, according to MDH.

As of Friday, more than 4.01 million COVID-19 tests have been completed in Minnesota.

KSTP’s complete COVID-19 coverage

See the full Minnesota COVID-19 situation update here.

According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering, the virus has infected more than 61 million people worldwide and killed over 1.4 million people.

About 39.2 million people worldwide have recovered as of Friday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients with confirmed COVID-19 have mild to severe respiratory problems, with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. Some patients report having muscle aches, headache, sore throat, and/or chills and shaking.

Note: According to MDH – "Because all data are preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths."