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North Dakota reports more than 1,000 new cases in a day; active cases surpass 6,000

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3D print of a SARS-CoV-2—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—virus particle. The virus surface (blue) is covered with spike proteins (red) that enable the virus to enter and infect human cells. (Submitted / National Institutes of Health)

BISMARCK — The North Dakota Department of Health on Tuesday, Oct. 20, reported another 1,036 positive cases — a new single-day high — as the number of residents known to be infected with COVID-19 has now eclipsed 6,000.

A record-breaking 19.7% of the test results announced Tuesday came back positive, and some North Dakota cities are beginning to come to terms with the forbidding increase of COVID-19 cases in their communities.

On Monday, both Fargo and Minot implemented a citywide mask mandate. Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney used his emergency powers to enact the mandate, while the Minot City Council voted 5-2 in favor of the measure.

Both mask mandates state that residents must wear a face covering in all indoor and outdoor environments where wearers are exposed to nonhousehold members and where social distancing of 6 feet or more cannot be maintained. There is no penalty for noncompliance in both cities.

Tuesday marked the 13th consecutive day active cases have broken state records, and there are now more than twice as many North Dakotans known to be infected with the illness as there was on Oct. 4 — a little more than two weeks ago.

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An additional four deaths were reported on Tuesday: Two Cass County women in their 80s, a Ramsey County man in his 70s and a Stark County man in his 60s. All four North Dakotans whose deaths were announced Tuesday had underlying health conditions.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says older adults and people with HIV, diabetes, asthma, liver disease or other conditions that compromise one's immune system are at a greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19.

October is North Dakota's deadliest month by far with now 412 victims who have succumbed to COVID-19, according to the state.

At least 254 of the state's deaths have come in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, many of which have seen skyrocketing cases among residents and employees in the last month.

North Dakota reported the most COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita in the nation over the last week, according to The New York Times . Towner and Oliver counties rank among the top 10 counties in the nation with the highest number of recent COVID-19 cases per resident, according to the publication.

Hospital bed capacity continues to remain tight, as both hospitals in Bismarck reported two available staffed ICU bed collectively as of Tuesday, according to the Department of Health. Overall, the state announced Tuesday that there are 20 available staffed ICU beds and 245 available staffed in-patient beds statewide.

Burleigh County, which includes Bismarck, announced an additional 219 cases Tuesday as there are now 1,013 residents infected with COVID-19 in the county.

Cass County, which includes Fargo and West Fargo, has 1,365 residents known to be infected with the illness — the most of the state's 53 counties. It announced an additional 161 cases Tuesday.

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Grand Forks County announced 192 new cases on Tuesday, which brings the county's active cases to 632. The University of North Dakota reported that 125 students, staff and faculty members have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks.

Nearly 20% of the 5,265 residents tested as part of the latest batch received a positive result, but 25% of residents tested for the first time got a positive result.

North Dakota does not report a seven-day rolling average for positivity rate, but Forum News Service calculated the rate to be almost 11% for all residents tested and about 18% for tests taken on previously untested residents.

Readers can reach reporter Michelle Griffith, a Report for America corps member, at mgriffith@forumcomm.com.

As a public service, we’ve opened this article to everyone regardless of subscription status. If this coverage is important to you, please consider supporting local journalism by clicking on the subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.

Michelle (she/her, English speaker) is a Bismarck-based journalist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

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