The deaths of 25 people in the seven-county area due to COVID-19 were reported by the Minnesota Department of Health in the past week, including 10 Crow Wing County residents.

Between Dec. 20-27, a total of 367 deaths in the state were attributed to complications associated with the disease caused by the coronavirus. Among them were 10 residents of Crow Wing, five residents of Todd, three of Morrison, two each from Cass, Mille Lacs and Wadena counties and one Aitkin County resident.

The ages of those who died included:

• Crow Wing — ages 75-79, three; 80-84, one; 85-89, one; 90-94, three; and 95-99, two.

• Todd — age 60-64, one; 75-79, one; 85-89, two; and 90-94, one.

• Morrison — age 70-74, one; and 90-94, two.

• Cass — age 70-74, one; and age 90-94, one.

• Mille Lacs — age 75-79, one; and age 90-94, one.

• Wadena — age 80-84, one; and age 90-94, one.

• Aitkin — age 90-94, one.

New cases, meanwhile, remain at their lowest point in months. Between Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 26-27, Crow Wing County added the most cases of any county in the region with 13 total. Those 13 came from three days of data, since the health department did not issue a situation update on Christmas Day. A month ago, Crow Wing reported 97 cases in one day.

Congregate care facilities

Based on the most recent data available from the Minnesota Department of Health issued Dec. 21, just six area congregate care facilities saw cases increase by double digits compared to the last report two weeks earlier. The two with the highest number of new cases in the region were Central Todd County Care Center in Clarissa and Edgewood Senior Living in Brainerd, which each saw 25 new cases added to their totals. Between the two facilities, there were seven more resident deaths, with four of those in Todd County.

Also adding more than 10 new cases were Good Samaritan Society-Bethany, with 18 new cases; Pierz Villa, 16 new cases; Edgewood Vista in Baxter, 16 new cases; and St. Otto’s Care Center in Little Falls, 11 new cases. All of those facilities except Edgewood Vista also recorded new resident deaths with two each at Pierz Villa and St. Otto’s and one at Bethany.

Other local facilities reporting new resident deaths were Lakewood Health System Care Center with one, Elim Wellspring in Princeton with two, Milaca Elim Home with one, and Rose Haven Assisted Living in Menahga with one.

Of all the facilities in Crow Wing County affected by COVID-19 thus far, the Bethany facility in south Brainerd is the hardest hit. It was the first location in the county to report an outbreak in May, and with 18 more added on the latest report, the total number of cases there reached 98. Sixty of those cases were among residents, 18 of whom succumbed.

COVID-19 data as of Dec. 27

• Aitkin — 1,007 (+3 since Saturday, Dec. 26), with 32 deaths.

• Cass — 1,898 (+11), with 19 deaths.

• Crow Wing — 4,460 (+13), with 59 (+1) deaths.

• Mille Lacs — 2,011 (+10), with 43 deaths.

• Morrison — 2,874 (+7), with 40 deaths.

• Todd — 2,213 (+9), with 26 (+2) deaths.

• Wadena — 1,106 (+4), with 12 (+1) deaths.

NOTE: These numbers are cumulative since March 21 and many are out of isolation.