Updated: 3:35 p.m. Minnesota officials on Monday reported another 22 COVID-19 deaths, continuing an already dreadful December. But other key metrics are showing definite signs of hope. New daily caseloads and hospital admissions continue to retreat from their late November, early December peaks. The Health Department posted 1,998 newly confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases — the lowest count since late October, part of more than a week of relatively moderate new caseloads. Officials expected a surge originating from Thanksgiving gatherings, but it hasn’t happened yet. The number of active, confirmed cases in Minnesota is down to around 21,000, the lowest since Nov. 4. The agency said 1,040 people were in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Sunday, with 237 needing intensive care. While that’s still fairly high, the seven-day trend for new hospital admissions has dropped to levels not seen since early November.