St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting an increase in flu activity in the state.

The department's weekly update on influenza activity now rates it as "local" instead of "sporadic." The higher rating was largely due to an increase in the number of flu-related hospitalizations and an uptick in the percentage of samples submitted for lab testing that have come back positive for influenza.

The increases for both indicators were modest with a total of 12 hospitalizations reported last week. The report also shows there were no outbreaks reported by schools or long-term care facilities in Minnesota. Since the start of the flu season, there's only been 10 probable outbreaks reported by schools and the two confirmed outbreaks in nursing homes or other care facilities.

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