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Minnesota’s COVID-19 toll continued to rise Thursday with 

13 more deaths and 500 new cases reported

, but trends in intensive care cases still suggest a hopeful, downward trend.

The newest deaths brought the total to 1,458 since the pandemic began. But the average daily count since mid-June remains in the single digits.

The count of people currently hospitalized rose to 274, but the number needing intensive care dipped to 123. The daily ICU count is the lowest its been since late April. Despite the jump in cases reported Thursday, overall hospitalizations have trended downward over the past few weeks. 

Minnesota now has 37,210 positive tests for the disease during the outbreak. About 86 percent of those testing positive have recovered to the point they no longer need to be isolated.

Among those who’ve died in Minnesota, nearly 80 percent were living in long-term care or assisted living facilities, nearly all had underlying health problems.

The newest counts come amid worry over new outbreaks if people ease up on safety measures over the July Fourth holiday weekend. 

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and others are imploring groups gathering over the Fourth of July to meet outdoors instead of inside and to wear masks and social distance even when outside.

Young adults are a particular concern. Minnesotans in their 20s now make up the largest age group of confirmed cases — nearly 8,000 since the pandemic began.

The median age for cases has been dipping and is now just under 39 years old, Malcolm noted Wednesday as she cautioned young adults to not let their guard down.

“Remember that you’re not invincible and neither are your loved ones,” she said, adding that young people risk spreading the disease to grandparents and other potentially vulnerable family members.

Gov. Tim Walz is concerned enough about potential outbreaks that he said earlier this week he’s considering a statewide mask order.

Malcolm on Wednesday reiterated that the governor is 

“very seriously considering” a mask requirement 

and that she and other state health experts would support that move.

Where are face masks required in Minnesota?

A socially distanced Independence Day in Minnesota

Inflammatory condition surfaces in some MN kids

Officials on Wednesday also confirmed 13 cases of Minnesota children diagnosed with 

, a condition believed to be related to COVID-19 that’s proven to be 

While the disease has not killed a Minnesota child, it sent eight of the 13 to intensive care, state epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield. The children developed symptoms between mid-May and mid-June; their average age was 5, and most had no prior medical problems, she said.

And as health officials warned of this mysterious new condition, cautioned Minnesotans to brace for an ongoing coexistence with COVID-19. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic reaches a “herd immunity” stage, research is indicating that immunity is not going to be as long-lasting as, say, measles. 

COVID-19 immunity “may last for a period of months to a couple of years,” Lynfield said Wednesday.

Many of the outbreaks outside the Twin Cities metro area are focused around meatpacking plants. Officials have intensified testing in those hot spots, uncovering more infections.

That includes Mower County in southeastern Minnesota, where there were 932 confirmed cases as of Thursday.

Mower County is home to Hormel Foods and Quality Pork Processors. Both have been partnering with Mayo Clinic to ramp up employee testing. 

While some of Mower County’s positive cases are associated with people who work in the facilities and with the people they live with, county officials say they are also seeing transmission among people who live in the county but work in other counties where coronavirus is present.

Nobles, in southwestern Minnesota, reported 1,661 confirmed cases Thursday. About 1 in 13 people now have tested positive for COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began, although the count of new cases has slowed considerably in recent weeks.

Worthington’s massive JBS pork processing plant was the epicenter of the Nobles outbreak. The JBS plant shut on April 20 but has since reopened with expanded hygiene and health monitoring measures.

Similar problems have been reported in Stearns County, where COVID-19 cases tied to two packing plants — Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant in Cold Spring and Jennie-O Turkey in Melrose — skyrocketed in May.

An undisclosed number of workers at both plants have tested positive for the virus. There were about 55 confirmed cases in Stearns County in early May. By Thursday, confirmed cases were at 2,312 with 19 deaths.

Kandiyohi County in west-central Minnesota is also dealing with a significant caseload more than two months after officials with the Jennie-O turkey processing plant there said some employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. 

As of Thursday, the Health Department reported 566 people have now tested positive in the county. The county had confirmed three COVID-19 cases in late April.

Cases have also climbed noticeably in Cottonwood County (134 cases), home to a pork processing plant in Windom, and in Lyon County (305 cases), around a turkey processor in Marshall.

Bar-driven clusters in Mankato, Minneapolis, St. Cloud

Malcolm said Monday there are likely more than 200 positive cases in Mankato and at least 100 in Minneapolis tied to bar-hopping outbreaks, an increase from past estimates.

All those sickened were in their 20s and had gone to the Mankato bars Rounders and The 507, or Minneapolis bars Cowboy Jack’s and Kollege Klub.

Minnesota’s early sacrifices to limit COVID-19’s spread “will be undermined if we don’t get cooperation from all Minnesotans, especially younger Minnesotans, who are most active and social,” Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, told reporters.

Social media from those bars shows they were crowded, with no room for social distancing, and people who were standing and not masked, so not following the state guidance, Ehresmann said.

“These are not just suggestions,” Malcolm said of the rules in bars and public spaces.

Officials also note cases in Stearns County, where state officials are investigating a cluster of 18-26 year olds who appear to have gotten the virus at a bar. At least 47 cases have been connected to the Pickled Loon in St. Cloud.

Advocates urge officials to release nonviolent prisoners over virus concerns

Advocates are again demanding that the Minnesota Department of Corrections release nonviolent prisoners due to the pandemic.

Stephanie Brown, who leads the group Decarcerate Minnesota Coalition, said many prisoners have already served time for their original crime, but were sent back to prison for breaking minor rules of probation, like being late to work. The coalition has been lobbying the state for a year, hoping to free prisoners currently held on technical violations.

Now with COVID-19, Brown said that the health of prisoners who shouldn’t even be incarcerated is being ignored and that state officials have acknowledged the problem, but won’t do anything about it. 

“That’s what we’re hearing from prisoners who are talking about unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Prisoners are being forced to go back to work,” Brown said. “They’re just seeing this urge to pretend like everything’s fine.”

COVID-19 has prompted the early release of some prisoners, but Brown said it’s not nearly enough. The organization plans to protest outside the the Corrections Department Thursday afternoon.

HealthPartners permanently closing several clinics

HealthPartners is making changes to a number of clinics and facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, including behavioral health care and substance use. 

Six clinics that were shut down during the crisis will not reopen. Clinicians will see patients at other facilities. And the behavioral health clinic in Maplewood, an inpatient substance use program at Regions Hospital, and a clinic in Sartell will also close permanently. 

For now, patients will continue to get care through telehealth and telephone. When in-person visits start up again, patients will see their providers at other sites.

Children’s Theatre announces steep budget, staffing cuts

The Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis is the latest Minnesota arts organization to make significant budget and staffing cuts amid the pandemic.

The administration of the company announced it's cutting its annual budget for the 2020-21 season by 50 percent. It's eliminating 15 full-time positions, furloughing 27 full-time positions and instituting a two-week furlough for the remaining 28 staff members. Nearly all part-time positions are on furlough. Managing director Kimberly Motes and artistic director Peter C. Brosius are taking a 24 percent reduction in compensation.

“It is devastating and heartbreaking that we have to reduce our staff due to the loss of live programming on our stages and in classrooms as well as the loss of revenue as a result of the pandemic,” Motes said in a statement Wednesday. “As we have tried for months to figure out what is possible next season, we have confronted the brutal reality of this virus and its impact on young people and families.” 

The company's next show is scheduled for March. The announcement comes on the heels of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Minnesota Historical Society and the Guthrie Theater all making similar budget and staff cuts.

Minnesota health officials back statewide mask mandate:

 Health experts are urging Gov. Tim Walz to require people to wear masks in public statewide amid concerns that the spike in coronavirus cases elsewhere could happen in Minnesota.

Duluth to consider requiring masks indoors: 

Duluth considers joining Minneapolis and St. Paul in requiring people to wear masks in public places. Several other cities are considering similar measures, even as Gov. Tim Walz weighs a statewide mask mandate.

Data in these graphs are based off Minnesota Department of Health cumulative totals released at 11 a.m. daily. You can find more detailed statistics on COVID-19 at the 

The coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets, coughs and sneezes, similar to the way the flu can spread.

Full coverage from MPR News

Minnesota and the Upper Midwest

How it compares with other diseases in 5 charts

Government and medical leaders are urging people to wash their hands frequently and well, refrain from touching their faces, cover their coughs, disinfect surfaces and avoid large crowds, all in an effort to curb the virus’ rapid spread.

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The newest counts come amid worry about new outbreaks if people ease up on safety measures over the July Fourth holiday weekend.

July 2 update on COVID-19 in MN: 13 more deaths, 500 new cases

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