COVID-19 up 22% statewide from beginning of December

The University of Minnesota is tracking an increase in COVID-19 cases across the state.

The concentration of COVID-19 in wastewater increased more than 22% in the two weeks leading up to Dec. 18, according to a report released on Friday. In the metro alone, viral load was up almost 50% over that time period.

The most recent data shows about 11,000 viral copies of COVID-19 per liter of wastewater.

It’s the highest viral level since a spike in September, when there were just over 14,000 copies per liter.