The county, which includes Fargo and West Fargo, has recently seen a dramatic increase in infections, including 237 new cases in the last three days. The active case count also rose sharply to 480 on Monday, giving it the second-highest amount of any county in the state.
With Optic, the currently “low-risk” county now meets the criteria for the yellow designation in active cases and the percentage of tests that return to the criteria. Criteria of the third principle, the county remains at a lower position for the amount of tests performed on residents.
North Dakota set its own new criteria for the Covid-19 risk level on Friday, Sept. 4. Published. Government Doug Bergham said the criteria would now be applied at the county level instead of at the state level. Photo of the North Dakota Department of Health
Berg said in a press conference Monday, Sept. 14, that Cas Yellow will not join eight other North Dakota counties at the yellow level because of the specific context of the Fargo area outbreak.
The Republican governor said many of the cases in the state’s largest metro area have come from young people, including North Dakota State University students who are at low risk of suffering from a serious illness from COVID-19. He added that other high-risk areas, such as the Bismarck and Dickinson metropolitan areas, also have higher rates of cases in populations over 70.
“We’re trying to look at the data that underlines the high-level numbers,” Bergum said. “Specifically, where case (s) spread by age is something we’re looking at because it’s going to determine whether we’re under pressure to be hospitalized.”
However, Bergum noted that if the case continues this week next week, the county could be a candidate to move to a level of risk.
The governor made no adjustment to any of the county’s risk levels on Monday, but he noted that his office will be closely monitoring Stark and Williams counties in the coming weeks. Stark County, which includes Dickinson, has exceeded the criteria for moderate risk counties in active cases and positivity rates.
North Dakota Governor Doug Bergham announced Thursday, Sept. 3, that the official COVID-19 risk level would be adjusted by the county. Blue counties are at “new normal”, green counties are at “low” risk and yellow counties are at “moderate” risk for illness. Screenshots by Health Dakota Health Department
Despite a request from top doctors, Burgham on Monday again refused to order a mask for the state.
The governor has repeatedly said that the state relies on “personal responsibility” rather than the government’s need to encourage the wearing of masks, noting that residents should have the right not to wear masks in public.
However, in a separate issue of individual liberties versus public health, Bergham went the other way. The governor backed him in 2018 in an effort to tighten enforcement by wearing seatbelts in cars. Opponents of the failed seatbelt enforcement bill, which failed during last year’s legislative session, argued that residents have the freedom not to wear seatbelts.
Bergum said he sees how one can logically find his position inconsistently on two issues, but he added that he believes it is possible to issue a mask order, resulting in fewer masks being worn by people. “If it were a seatbelt, it would be the other side of the argument,” Bergum said.
A June study of health issues concluded that mandating masks reduces the rate at which COVID-19 is spread in communities.
NDA records have reported active cases
Earlier in the day, the North Dakota Department of Health reported 255 new cases of COVID-19 on the second record-breaking day.
The department also confirmed the deaths of a Burling County woman in her 90s and an Eddie County woman in her 80s. As with most people in North Dakotans who died of the disease, both women were in poor health, the department said.
The department says 170 North Dakotans have died from the disease, including 27 residents who have died in the past 27 weeks. The deaths have come from eighty nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. There are still three deaths that have been in the “perceived positive” category, meaning medical professionals have determined that Covid-19 was the cause of death but that the person was not tested for the disease while he was alive.
Now there are 2,758 North Dakotans found to be infected with the virus – a new epidemic. Fifty-five residents have been hospitalized with the virus, with 19 patients undergoing intensive care.
Eighty of the new cases reported Monday came from the county. 167 students, faculty and staff have tested positive in the past two weeks, according to a report from North Dakota State University.
Twenty-two of the new cases came from Burley County, including Bismarck. The county has the most active cases in the state with 511. Morton County, west of Burling County and includes Mandan, has 13 new cases reported and 216 active cases.
Stark County has reported 34 new cases of the disease, bringing its active case count to 249.
On Monday, Grand Forks County reported 32 new cases, with the county reporting 273 active cases. The University of North Dakota reports that 61 students, faculty and staff have been infected with the virus and another 232 people affiliated with the university are in quarantine.
At least one case was reported Monday in twenty-four counties, including many smaller, rural counties. All but four of the state’s coun 53 counties have at least one active case.
Of the 3,959 residents tested as part of the latest batch, about 6.4% tested positive, but 6.8% tested for the first time.
North Dakota does not report a seven-day rolling average for a positivity rate like many other states, but the Forum News Service calculated the rate to be 9.3% for tests taken on previously untested residents.
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