Bismarck  (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held his weekly COVID-19 News Briefing, with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) Thursday afternoon at the state capital in Bismarck.

Burgum said heading into the Labor Day Weekend to stay North Dakota Smart, and mask up observe social distancing, to slow the spread in the virus.  He said previous holiday weekends, saw a surge in positive cases.  He pointed out that college students are urged to stay on campus this weekend, and to continue with COVID-19 testing.  He said many college campuses have opportunities to be occupied.

He said regionally the pandemic is expanding into the midwestern U.S., with increased positive case increases.

North Dakota has set a near record for the number of daily positive coronavirus tests, and has increased its per-capita figures for the infection to the highest in the country. The state Health Department’s update showed that 360 of the 12,629 tests in the past day came back positive, with Cass, Grand Forks, and Stark counties each reporting 60 or more positive cases. North Dakota recorded of high of 373 positive tests statewide on Aug. 28. Data show North Dakota now ranks first in the country in the number of new COVID-19 cases per capita in the last two

NDDoH

COVID 1-9 Stats.

Thurs. Sept. 3, 2020

Posted 11-a.m.

 

Barnes

New Positives 5

Total Positives 124

Active Cases 50

Recovered  74

 

Stutsman

New Positives 29

Total Positives 251

Active Cases 101

Recovered 147

COVID-19 Test Results
The results listed are from the previous day. Additional data can be found on the NDDoH website.

BY THE NUMBERS

6,544 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

486,041 – Total tests completed since pandemic began

360 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

12,629 – Total positive individuals since pandemic began

5.50% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

2,428 – Total Active Cases

+143 Individuals from yesterday

139 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday****

10,051 – Total recovered since pandemic began

67 – Currently Hospitalized

+1 individuals from yesterday


2 – New Deaths*** (150 total deaths since the pandemic began)


INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • Woman in her 100s from Williams County with underlying health conditions.
  • Man in his 60s from Burleigh County with underlying health conditions.


COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED THURSDAY

  • Adams County – 1
  • Barnes County – 5
  • Benson County – 3
  • Billings County – 1
  • Bottineau County – 1
  • Burleigh County – 19
  • Cass County – 60
  • Eddy County – 6
  • Foster County – 4
  • Golden Valley County – 1
  • Grand Forks County – 79
  • Kidder County – 4
  • LaMoure County – 1
  • Logan County – 1
  • McKenzie County – 1
  • McLean County – 1
  • Mercer County – 4
  • Morton County – 24
  • Mountrail County – 1
  • Nelson County – 1
  • Ramsey County – 12
  • Ransom County – 3
  • Richland County – 6
  • Rolette County – 1
  • Sioux County – 1
  • Stark County – 67
  • Stutsman County – 29
  • Towner County – 1
  • Traill County – 3
  • Walsh County – 2
  • Ward County – 10
  • Williams County – 7

 

* Note that this does not include individuals from out of state and has been updated to reflect the most recent information discovered after cases were investigated.

**Because the serial tests completed and added to the total number of tests completed can result in new individuals who test positive, the daily positivity rate will be calculated using the total positives for the day by the daily number of tests completed instead of the daily number of unique individuals tested.

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19.
**** The daily numbers are the actual date individuals are officially out of isolation and no longer contagious.

******Totals may be adjusted as individuals are found to live out of state, in another county, or as other information is found during investigation.

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Detailed information, including active case trends, can be found 24/7 at http://health.nd.gov/covid19dashboa

Burgum said adding visitation to long term care, and other social gatherings the positive virus numbers have increased, since around the 4th of July. He said the increase in positive cases has increased, not due to increased testing, but from other socializing trends.

Burgum announced on Thursday the Risk Level will be adjusted on a county by county basis, either up to the lowest risk level, staying at low risk or, going back to the moderate risk level.  13 counties, with continued increases in positive cases, are being adjusted to moderate.  Barnes is one of the counties being moved to the moderate risk level.  Stutsman County remaining in the low risk category.  Changes take effect on September 4, at 5-p.m.  He said county officials should use the risk level changes to develop their own policies.

He added the changes are guidelines and …not…mandated.

Valley City Public School has announced changes in light of Barnes  County moving into the yellow, or moderate risk category.  Some of the changes include going to plan B, with grades K-6 wearing face masks in the buildings and on the playground during recess.

More information on the VCPS website.

Burgum signed an Executive Order, regarding K-12 interim teachers.

It allows for interim substitute teachers to remain in the classroom beyond the 10 day limitation.

More specific information is available on line at  NDresponse.gov

He pointed out that FEMA has approved the grant request under the lost wages assistance program.  Grant funding from FEMA allows Job Service North Dakota to provide an additional $300 per week on top of claimants’ regular weekly unemployment benefit if they are unemployed due to COVID-19. The payments will be made retroactively to claimants who were eligible during the three weeks ending Aug. 1, 8 and 15.