Minnesota reports 72 additional COVID-19 deaths Thursday, another single-day record

(FOX 9) - For the second day in a row, Minnesota set a new single-day record for COVID-19 deaths with 72 deaths reported Thursday. 

The previous single-day high for COVID-19 deaths was 67, reported on Wednesday. To date, 3,082 people in Minnesota have died from COVID-19, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Of those deaths, 289 occurred in the last week alone. 

Thirty-seven of the newly reported deaths were in the Twin Cities metro while the other 35 were in Greater Minnesota. 

The deaths included a Wilkin County resident in their late 30s and an Anoka County resident in their late 40s. The remaining deaths were among people 60 or older. 

MDH also reported 7,877 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday—the second highest so far. The most number of cases reported in a single day was 8,703 on Saturday. 

The 7,877 positive cases were on a volume of 56,820 completed tests—a positivity rate of 13.9%.  

COVID-19 cases in Minnesota have increased 136% over the last two weeks, the third highest rate of increase in the nation behind Vermont and New Hampshire, according to the NBC News COVID-19 tracker. 

Earlier this week, Health Commissioner said given the current rate that COVID-19 cases are increasing in Minnesota, the state could see 10,000 cases per day by Thanksgiving. 

There have been 249,906 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Minnesota since the pandemic began. 

The New York Times lists St. Cloud as one of the nation's current COVID-19 hotspots. Rochester, Fairbault–Northfield, Fergus Falls and Mankato are among the 20 metro areas where cases are currently rising the fastest.