Minnesota reports 15,000th death due to COVID-19

(ST PAUL, MINN) – A grim milestone has been reached in the battle against COVID-19 in the State of Minnesota.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the state has seen 15,000 deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 have drastically decreased since the state saw its highest seven-day moving average of deaths at more than 70 in December 2020.

In Minnesota, since the state’s first case, more than 1.8 million positive cases, including reinfections, have been diagnosed.

Currently, the most prevalent strain of COVID-19 is the XBB 1.16 strain. According to the Department of Health, 30 percent of all cases sequenced were the XBB.1.16 strain.