The first confirmed case of coronavirus in Otter Tail County was reported Sunday, March 29.
The Minnesota Department of Health notified Otter Tail County of its first lab-confirmed case of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, according to a news release issued by the county Sunday morning.
The adult patient was tested and is in isolation at home and is being monitored by the Minnesota Department of Health, according to the release. The patient did have recent international travel.
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“While our first confirmed case in Otter Tail County is related to travel, we know there is community spread occurring in Minnesota. The virus is very likely circulating in our communities,” Jody Lien, Otter Tail County Public Health Director, said in the release.
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The state department of health reported 503 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Sunday. That includes 16 people being treated in intensive care, 39 cases of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization and 252 people who no longer need to be isolated.
The 62 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 announced Sunday is the biggest single-day jump in confirmed new cases since March 23, when the health department reported 66 new confirmed cases.
Cases have now been confirmed in 45 Minnesota counties. In addition to Otter Tail County, Cottonwood, Douglas and Isanti reported their first cases Sunday.
In addition, the number of reported deaths in Minnesota related to COVID-19 jumped to nine on Sunday, March 29, climbing by four.
Three of those people who died were residents at care facilities in Hennepin County, said Jan Malcolm, deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health.
Two of those deaths were patients from the same care facility. One of those fatalities, a 50-year-old man with underlying health conditions, is the youngest fatal case of COVID-19 so far in Minnesota. The two other patients who died were in their 80s and 90s, Malcolm added. The fourth reported death occurred in Martin County, Malcolm said in a conference call update Sunday. No further information on that patient was available at the time.
Of the nine deaths so far in Minnesota, seven have been residents of long-term care facilities.
As of Sunday, 25 long-term care facilities reported a total of 32 cases of COVID-19 — with 21 cases in facility residents and 11 cases among facility staff.
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MDH COVID-19 hotline: 651-201-3920 or 800-657-3903. The hotline is available seven days a week, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
School and child care hotline: 651-297-1304 or 800-657-3504
MDH COVID-19 website: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html
Otter Tail County Public Health is available to answer general questions regarding COVID-19 at 218-998-8320 or 888-349-2581, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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