Itasca County has confirmed its third and fourth cases of COVID-19. According to a release, one case is an employee from an area skilled nursing facility, called “The Emeralds” in Grand Rapids, and another is an employee from an area group home owned by the Orion Corporation.
Both confirmed cases had contact with previously known positive cases.
Kelly Chandler, Itasca County Public Health Division Manager, reports, “We have been in contact with the facilities where the cases were confirmed to discuss their protocols, further recommended testing and personal protective equipment needs.We’ll continue to provide support to them as needed.”The community should continue to take proper precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the most susceptible and vulnerable community members.
“We strongly encourage you to wear a cloth mask when in public, ensuring that you are covering your nose and mouth. Please stay home whenever you can and continue to practice social distancing when you must leave your home!” continues Chandler.
Grand Itasca President and CEO Jean MacDonell says,“We understand the peace of mind that a test result brings and are happy to significantly expand our testing criteria to include all symptomatic patients with underlying medical conditions. This is in addition to the testing of emergency and health care workers, childcare providers and those with known exposure to positive COVID-19 patients. If patients meet the criteria for testing, they should call our appointment line at 218-326-7344 to schedule a telephone visit for a curbside COVID-19 test.”
