Saturday brought two more COVID-19 cases to St. Louis County and four more to Carlton County

The Minnesota Department of Health reported 28 more COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota Saturday — the highest number yet, bringing the total to 272. The death toll topped the high set the previous day, when 23 people succumbed to the novel coronavirus.

Two more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in St. Louis County, bringing the total number of cases confirmed through lab-based testing to 63 on Saturday, according to the Department of Health.

Four more people tested positive in Carlton County, bringing the total to 51 and 26 of those cases are incarcerated people at the Moose Lake prison, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections' Saturday update. Another five people within the prison are presumed positive.

No new deaths have been reported in St. Louis County since Monday, April 20, leaving the total at 10. No deaths have been reported in Carlton County.

Itasca County still has two total cases; its most recent confirmed case was reported April 1. Cook and Lake counties have no confirmed cases.

Pine County has reported 52 cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday, up seven from Friday. The Minnesota Department of Corrections reported that as of Saturday 40 of those cases have been incarcerated people in the Willow River correctional facility.

County public health professionals, medical experts and the state's health department have all said that the number of people reported to have COVID-19 is just the tip of the iceberg, especially since testing has largely been limited to health care workers, people who are hospitalized and people who live in congregate care facilities.

Statewide, 3,602 people have tested positive and 1,774 of them no longer need to be isolated. On Saturday, 285 people were hospitalized and 115 of them were in an intensive care unit.

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