Minnesota daily COVID-19 cases spike to highest level since early January

State health officials are promoting an underutilized outpatient therapy amid rising pandemic activity in Minnesota, which has reported 6,864 deaths from COVID-19 and 524,203 infections with the coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease. The totals include four deaths reported Friday by the Minnesota Department of Health along with 2,553 diagnosed infections — the highest single-day case count since Jan. 4. A viral variant has become a dominant source of COVID-19 in Minnesota, causing as many as 65% of new infections and driving the state's case and hospitalization rates to some of the highest in the U.S. A sampling of patients infected with the corona­virus that causes COVID-19 has identified 943 with the B.1.1.7 variant, which proved when it was found in England to be 50% more contagious and cause a 64% higher death rate.