Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Testing events at Spirit Lake Health Center are held daily to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
"The numbers are starting to go in the wrong direction," Governor Burgum announced during his weekly coronavirus press conference Wednesday. In the seven days prior, a total of 1,003 North Dakotans had tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state's active case count close to 1,400 for the first time since the pandemic began.
Yet, two of the main metrics to which Burgum pays close attention remained relatively positive. He noted that more than 34,000 people had been tested for the coronavirus in those same seven days, resulting in a positive test rate under 3%, still lower than nearly any other state in the nation. Further, the number of North Dakotans hospitalized with COVID-19 was down to 49 from its peak of 65. With thousands of beds available statewide, he highlighted the fact that the medical community was well equipped to care for the ill.
The state's official risk meter stayed in the green, or low-risk level, although it was moved slightly closer to the yellow level. Burgum said that if the numbers continued their upward trend that the state would consider moving some counties into the yellow level.
Neighboring Benson County remains a hot spot in the state, with the most cases per 10,000 residents of any county in the state, 48.8 as of Wednesday. Eddy County had just two active cases Wednesday, showing that for the most part we have managed to contain the virus and limit its spread.
Spirit Lake Health Center issued an updated report on cases amongst its tribal members Tuesday. The Spirit Lake Reservation has had 195 total cases, with 45 active, at the time of the report. The numbers have gone down from a peak of 69 active cases on July 30. One tribal member was hospitalized with the virus as of Tuesday, and three people had died. The report noted that all numbers represent patients of Spirit Lake Health Center with laboratory-confirmed cases.
Tuesday is testing day in our area, with Eddy County Public Health offering COVID-19 testing from 9 to 11 a.m. at its office in downtown New Rockford. A limited number of tests are available, Eddy County Public Health Nurse Danette Schmid notes. Spirit Lake Tribal Health has also chosen Tuesday as its test day, with testing events scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. each Tuesday in August and September. No appointment is necessary, and tests will be limited to 200 per day. The testing takes place behind the clinic in Ft. Totten. A limited number of tests will also be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays starting at 9 a.m. and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Responding to a reporter's question at the press conference, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler said that all of the state's 174 school districts planned to conduct in-person instruction at least some of the time to start the school year. She added that approximately 7-10% of students in any given district had opted to begin the school year with distance learning at home.
Nearby Fessenden-Bowdon School started classes on Wednesday, Aug. 19, nearly a week before New Rockford-Sheyenne planned to begin the year. NR-S elementary students will attend school five days per week, while students in grades 8-12 will stagger their in-person instruction and attend classes every other day.
All counties aim to have in-person voting during the general election on November 3. North Dakota County Auditors Association Executive Director Donnell Preskey Hushka told reporters that all counties have indicated they will have at least one in-person voting location. Counties are in the process of deciding the array of voting options that will be available to their voters. Eddy County Auditor Patty Williams did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. It is anticipated that the county commission will take up the issue at a future meeting.
Burgum also addressed the topic of voting at his Wednesday press conference. "I think there's a way to get voting done while social distancing," he said. He added that there is enough lead time between now and November to train poll workers who are not in the high-risk category and to develop proper spacing, signage and policies to keep voters safe. He also reminded North Dakotans that they do have the option to apply for an absentee ballot if they do not feel comfortable standing in line to vote.
