COVID-19 News: disease hits hard at Minnesota's long-term care facilities

An ambulance was on site to evacuate residents of Meridian Manor after an outbreak of the coronavirus was detected Saturday, April 18, 2020 in Wayzata, Minn. About three dozen residents have been moved from the Minneapolis area senior living facility after an outbreak of the coronavirus made many staff members too sick to care for residents. (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP)

Health officials say the vast majority of Minnesota’s COVID-19 deaths are cases associated with long-term care facilities.

As of Tuesday, officials say, 113 of the 160 Minnesota residents confirmed to have died from the coronavirus were connected one way or another with long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. Fourteen of the 17 new deaths reported Tuesday were among residents of those facilities.

The department also reported 97 new confirmed cases Tuesday to boost the state’s total to 2,576. It was the first time since last Tuesday that Minnesota recorded fewer than 100 new cases.