Updated 11:39 a.m.
Downward trends in the trajectory of new COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and test positivity rates in Minnesota continued Sunday.
Those encouraging signs, however, came as state health officials reported another 70 COVID-19 deaths in the state, raising December’s record monthly death toll to 1,257.
Averaged over the past week, the number of deaths reported each day is also dropping that number was 58 on Sunday, down from as high as 67 last week. But that average is still far above figures seen less than two months ago. On Nov. 1, the average daily death toll was 18.
And any recent improvements in COVID-19 stats could be jeopardized by upcoming holiday gatherings.