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Minnesota exceeded 2,000 COVID-19 cases on Friday with the Minnesota Department of Health confirming 158 new cases Friday, bringing the state total to 2,071.

MDH also reported 17 deaths on Friday, raising the total deaths in Minnesota since the pandemic began to 111.

As of Friday morning, 223 infected individuals required hospitalization, including 106 in intensive care.

Statewide, 73 of Minnesota’s 87 counties have confirmed positive COVID-19 cases.

Mower County remains at 25 confirmed cases.

“The majority of (Mower) cases in March were due to travel and known contact with a positive case,” said Pam Kellogg, division manager for the Mower County Department of Health and Human Services.“ We are no longer seeing travel as the likely exposure; we are now seeing community spread with no known contact with a positive case. We are also seeing some spread within families after the first family member or roommate is diagnosed.”

Kellogg did give a bit of good news for Mower County residents.

“Nineteen of our 25 cases are no longer in isolation,” she said. “There are no more Mower cases hospitalized, which is wonderful news.”