More cases reported in Stearns County

For the reporting period released on Sunday, June 28, the Minnesota Department of Health released the new COVID-19 case count for Stearns County that shows 34 new cases of the novel coronavirus. For the day prior, Stearns County had 11 cases added to their total. The total COVID case count for Stearns County now stands at an even 2,200 in a population of over 161,000 people.

It's important to note that some people are tested multiple times, so the figure of "2,200" does not mean that 2,200 Stearns County citizens have been diagnosed with COVID.

Around the area...Kandiyohi County had one new case, while Pope, Swift and Douglas counties all reported none.

Hospitalizations from COVID continues to drop in the state, down to 288 overall and 143 in ICU. This is the lowest number of patients in ICU in a single day since May 2, when 135 were in ICU.

A total of eight new COVID deaths were reported in Minnesota with new COVID cases totaling 523 on a testing volume of 14,997 tests. That testing volume is the second-highest in Minnesota of any day, topped only by the 15,900 tests reported on June 3.

Also, the positive test rate for today's period is 3.5 percent, which is where it's been for at least the past week.