Bismarck  (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held his daily COVID-19 News Briefing Monday afternoon at the state capital in Bismarck.

With Monday’s Information on COVID-19 statistics

ND Dept of Health Joint Information Center press briefing with Governor Doug Burgum 5/4

ND Dept of Health Joint Information Center press briefing with Governor Doug Burgum 5/4Briefing will begin at approximately 3:30pm CT

Posted by North Dakota Department of Health on Monday, May 4, 2020

 

Monday, May 4, 2020 – 11:00am

Categories: Coronavirus

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED MONDAY

  • Burleigh County – 3
  • Cass County – 25
  • Grand Forks County – 2
  • Morton County – 2
  • Stark County – 2

 

BY THE NUMBERS

34,754 – Total Tested (+1,401 individuals from yesterday)

33,529 – Total Negative (+1,367 individuals from yesterday)

1,225 – Total Positive (+34 individuals from yesterday)

94 – Total Hospitalized (+4 individuals from yesterday)

31 – Currently Hospitalized (+0 individuals from yesterday)

540 – Total Recovered (+23 individuals from yesterday)

25 – Total Deaths (+0 individual from yesterday)

Burgum said, testing is the key to help contain the spread of COVID-19, in North Dakota.

He said an outbreak can occur any place in the state, such as shown in Grand Forks, with the large number of positives at the LM Wind Turbine plant last month.

He said the state will continue to step up testing and contact tracing.

In the testing supply chain, there is a shortage of testing component  plates, testing equipment, which has temporarily slowed the testing process.

80-percent of tests are performed at the state lab in Bismarck.

Fargo Cass Public Health said the event planned at the Fargodome on Modnay was cancelled due to a shortage of supplies at the state’s microbiology lab.

With Parks and Recreation, Burgum said Burgum said the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department announces the reopening of state park campgrounds. In alignment with the North Dakota Smart Restart Campaign, the department will be opening all campgrounds, except Little Missouri State Park, on May 9 for no-service camping. Starting May 21, all parks will be opened with limited service for this season.

A number of changes customers will be experiencing this season include limited access to restrooms and comfort stations, no multi-unit camping, and limited access to concession and rental items.  “The limiting of services will help us not only protect our visitors and staff but will also allow staff time to thoroughly clean high traffic areas.

The department has also moved the purchase of entrances fees and horse permits to online only to help limit close-range interactions where possible. They are also asking that camping reservations are made online or by calling the call center before visiting the park.

Special events, facility rentals, and shelter reservations have been canceled or postponed until further notice to comply with the CDC guidelines on group gatherings. For a full list of park changes and updates, visit https://www.parkrec.nd.gov/covid-update.

 

The department would also like to remind park visitors to follow the CDC’s recommendations on social distancing and personal hygiene while visiting their properties.

With unemployment, over the weekend 1380 regular claims were filed, with a total of claims since March 16 through Sunday at 69,857.

The North Dakota Department of Commerce Monday announced that Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari will join Commerce for a special edition of the Commerce Business Briefing call on May 7.

Kashkari will discuss the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including North Dakota-specific observations and thoughts on what the future may hold.

The session will be moderated interview style with the option for participants to submit questions in advance.

He pointed out that this week is Tourism Week in North Dakota, tourism employees over 42,000 people in the state. He pointed out since April this year 281,000 has been lost in the revenues, and specifically, seven million dollars has been lost in tax revenue.

He said tourism is well positioned to rebound quickly  from the pandemic economic downturn, with the possibility of increased rural vacations and an uptick in car and air travel in the future.

Burgum said the news briefings will be reduced to three times a week, with the next briefing on Wednesday May 6, at 3:30-p.m.  The daily COVID-19 numbers will be released at 11-a.m. each day, and the state will continue to provide the media with daily news releases.

In other state news…

Organizations and nonprofits, particularly those dependent on revenue from admissions, ticket sales, and other sources of earned income, are a segment of the North Dakota arts and cultural community especially hard-hit by this public health emergency. Artists and contract workers also engaged in producing art and arts and cultural events are facing unprecedented loss of income due to widespread cancellation of events, residencies, and production contracts.

NDCA received emergency funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its related effects through the CARES Act. The NDCA CARES Act Fund will disperse these funds to individuals and organizations in North Dakota in need of financial support directly related to losses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health State of Emergency Declaration issued by Governor Burgum on March 13, 2020. Individuals and organizations eligible for this funding are defined as those whose primary mission is to promote and provide connections through creative expression by sharing creative experiences, expressing our own creativity, or connecting us with others and ourselves.

The NDCA CARES Act Fund, a one-time emergency relief fund, is administered by NDCA.