Hennepin and Ramsey counties, 10 COVID deaths

For the reporting period released on Thursday, July 2, the counties of Hennepin and Ramsey of Minnesota reported 10 deaths to the COVID-19 virus.

Three other deaths (one each) were reported from Dakota, Sherburne and Steele counties.

The state of Minnesota added an even 500 cases to the total case count on a testing volume of 13,505 tests from public and private labs. That makes a positive case testing rate of 3.7 percent.

Stearns County added 25 cases of COVID to the total, which is now 2,312. Yesterday, for July 1, Stearns County added 17 cases.  On Tuesday, June 30, Stearns County added 36 new COVID cases.

In terms of the 500 new COVID cases...for added context, here's the breakdown for the counties reporting double-digit cases today, with new case count and overall population:
Washington - 23 cases    (pop. 262,440)
Stearns - 25      (pop. 161,075)
Scott - 13       (pop. 149,013)
Ramsey - 54      (pop. 550,321)
Olmsted - 18       (pop. 158,293)
Hennepin - 161    (pop. 1,266,000)
Dakota - 31        (pop. 429,021)
Carver - 13        (pop. 105,089)
Blue Earth - 21     (pop. 67,653)
Anoka - 30        (pop. 356,921)

Sub-total =  3.5058 million of the state’s 5.64 million people (62 percent of the state’s population)

TOTAL CASES in these counties = 389 of 500 (78%) 

• Area counties adding no new COVID cases were Pope, Douglas and Todd counties. Kandiyohi County added one COVID case. Grant County added two new COVID cases. Swift County added one new COVID cases. 

MEANWHILE, it becomes clear we are losing sight of what is happening behind the scenes, which is not surprising. Here's a headline that just popped up: "Health Partners is eliminating at least 200 jobs as it closes clinics."

Hello! Earth to anyone with a brain! We are using the wrong approach if we are harming medical systems due to a lack of people utilizing the services of health care providers.