STATE UPDATES
Today, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed 510 newly reported COVID-19 cases and 33 newly reported deaths, bringing the total to 22,464 cases and 932 deaths.
Of those deaths, 759 were residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities. Of those total cases, 2,487 are confirmed to be health care workers who have contracted the disease at some point over the course of the outbreak.
To date, 216,532 have been tested, and 16,314 have recovered to the point they no longer need to be hospitalized. Today, 598 Minnesotans are hospitalized for COVID-19, with 260 in the intensive care unit.
Reports from the metro indicate the ICU units are starting to fill up, but MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm says the department is not concerned.
“There are mechanisms in place to… taking a system-wide approach to this and helping to place patients where there is available care on an immediate basis,” said Malcolm.
LOCAL UPDATES
MDH reported a new COVID-19 case in Beltrami County today, bringing Beltrami’s cumulative total to 13, with most of them recovered to the point they no longer need to be isolated.
A new case was reported by MDH in Cass County, bringing their cumulative total to 12 cases and two deaths, and a new case in Koochiching County, bringing their cumulative total to seven.
Itasca County Public Health Director Kelly Chandler says the impacts of COVID-19 in the county affect all citizens, from teenagers to the elderly. As of noon Tuesday, the county had 53 cases and seven deaths.
“Itasca County also has seen its share of tragedy with this virus. We have friends and neighbors—from teenagers to elders—very, very sick. And families grieving for loved ones lost. Many of us are living with fear of the unknown. It’s up to us to do the right things, to assure others we care by following precautions. We won’t see a return to anything like normal until we see our disease numbers trend downward and our hospitalizations and ICU bed use turn downward.”
According to Dr. Patty Carlin-Janssen, Itasca County Public Health Medical Director and Family Medicine Physician at Grand Itasca, “While we understand that the risk of serious illness is relatively low for teenagers who contract COVID-19, there may be some who become seriously ill if they are infected. Young people are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers and spread the disease to others in the community or their family members with whom they come in contact.”
Residents are reminded to maintain social distance of six feet, wash hands thoroughly and often and to wear masks when out in public.
CANCELLATIONS
The Grand Rapids Tall Timber Days festival has been canceled, and the event will not return until August 6-8, 2021.
