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We’ve still got a long ways to go in the COVID-19 pandemic, but both state and locally there are continuing signs of optimism.

According to Minnesota Department of Health, numbers released Monday morning reporter there are now 30,693 cases with 230 newly reported cases statewide continuing a downward trend reflected in the fact that currently there are 3,630 people that have required hospitalization with 353 still hospitalized as of Monday. Minnesota Public Radio reported that the drop in those currently hospitalized is 40 percent lower than it was at the end of May.

Those requiring ICU care are counted at 186 .

At the same time, only six deaths were reported Monday and while it pushes the total count to 1,304 for the state, it marks the lowest that number has been in almost exactly two months.

Mower County is also seeing a bit of that optimism. Even though the current number of cases is at 651, it’s an increase of just 13 from Friday’s number of 638 coming after a spike in cases over the last couple weeks.

Counties nearby Mower have also appeared to have a slow down in cases, including many who reported no or low numbers of new cases. In particular, Olmsted County, which has 778 cases and 12 deaths, had zero cases reported since Sunday.

Also on Monday, MDH reported that to date there have now been 333 confirmed reported at Hormel and Quality Pork Producers, up from 316 reported on Friday. That number is the combined total of the two plants.

This news follows the Friday announcement of a new initiative called Community Health First, which brings together a variety of entities in Austin and Albert Lea to increase testing at Hormel, QPP and Albert Lea Select Foods.

Current case number in other counties include: Dodge (59), Fillmore (20, 1 death), Freeborn (220), Steele (175).