Bismarck  (CSi)  Gov Burgum held his weekly COVID-19 News Briefing Thurs at the State Capital in Bismarck.   He was joined by Department of Human Services Executive Director Chris Jones.

Burgum said the Thursday report from the NDDoH was the worst for North Dakota in categories listed for COVID-19, including growing hospitalizations.

He said the uptick in the spread of the virus is not only statewide, or nationally but worldwide.  He noted with indoor gatherings growing with cold weather inside conditions add to the virus thriving, concerning humidity, and air flow conditions.  weekly COVID-19 News Briefing

Burgum pointed out regular phone visits with city and county leaders, who are sharing ideas.  He noted localities adding face mask recommendations for citizens.

He added that with vaccine development, the state is planning for the distribution to state residents, when it becomes available.

He said getting a flu shot is extremely important, in the COVID-19 fight, and reminded residents about mitigating the spread, by social distancing, and wearing face masks, while interacting within core groups.

North Dakota health officials are reporting that hospitalizations due to complications from the coronavirus reached another new high after increasing by five in the last day. The Wednesday report  released on Thursday, showed that 220 people were being treated in medical facilities across the state. There were 14 staffed intensive care beds and 188 staffed inpatient beds available in North Dakota, according to state data. The increase in patients came on day when the state reported 12 additional deaths, lifting the total number of fatalities to 596. The COVID Tracking Project reports that the death count is the 15th highest per capita in the country at about 75 deaths per 100,000 people.

 

NDDoH COVID-19 Stats for Thurs. Nov 5,  2020

11- am.

Barnes

 

New Positives   30

Total Positives 467

Active Cases 90

Recovered  375

 

Stutsman

New Positives 64

Total Positives 1285

Active Cases  344

Recovered  931

 

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


BY THE NUMBERS

9,723 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

910,816 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

1,540 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

49,837 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

17.15% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

9,224 Total Active Cases

+653 Individuals from yesterday

854 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday (680 with a recovery date of yesterday****)

40,017 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

231 – Currently Hospitalized

+11 – Individuals from yesterday

29 – New Deaths*** (596 total deaths since the pandemic began) 

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • Man in his 50s from Benson County.
  • Woman in her 70s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 60s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 40s from Cass County.
  • Man in his 80s from Dickey County.
  • Man in his 80s from Dickey County.
  • Man in his 70s from Grand Forks County.
  • Man in his 50s from Grand Forks County.
  • Man in his 80s from Grand Forks County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Hettinger County.
  • Man in his 70s from Kidder County.
  • Man in his 70s from Morton County.
  • Man in his 80s from Morton County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Nelson County.
  • Man in his 80s from Pierce County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Towner County.
  • Man in his 80s from Traill County.
  • Woman in her 50s from Traill County.
  • Man in his 80s from Traill County.
  • Woman in her 100s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 90s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 60s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 30s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 60s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Williams County.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED THURSDAY

  • Adams County – 4
  • Barnes County – 30
  • Benson County – 14
  • Billings County – 1
  • Bottineau County – 9
  • Burke County – 5
  • Burleigh County – 214
  • Cass County – 266
  • Cavalier County – 19
  • Dickey County – 12
  • Divide County – 3
  • Dunn County – 5
  • Eddy County – 14
  • Emmons County – 2
  • Foster County – 12
  • Golden Valley County – 2
  • Grand Forks County – 101
  • Grant County – 2
  • Griggs County – 6
  • Hettinger County – 3
  • Kidder County – 1
  • LaMoure County – 4
  • McHenry County – 12
  • McIntosh County – 2
  • McKenzie County – 14
  • McLean County – 19
  • Mercer County – 13
  • Morton County – 84
  • Mountrail County – 25
  • Nelson County – 6
  • Oliver County – 3
  • Pembina County – 37
  • Pierce County – 18
  • Ramsey County – 38
  • Ransom County – 9
  • Richland County – 20
  • Rolette County – 21
  • Sargent County – 7
  • Sioux County – 7
  • Stark County – 64
  • Steele County – 2
  • Stutsman County – 64
  • Towner County – 8
  • Traill County – 24
  • Walsh County – 48
  • Ward County – 221
  • Williams County – 45

 

* 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.

**Individuals who tested positive divided by the total number of people tested who have not previously tested positive (susceptible encounters).

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19. There is a lag in the time deaths are reported to the NDDoH.
**** 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.

Burgum announced changes in county risk levels, noting that none have gone down in risk, and many rose, and several remained the same.

Effective 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, the updated ND Smart Restart guidelines are as follows for counties under these risk designations:

In the area Stutsman and Barnes Counties went from yellow moderate risk to Orange High Risk levels. Kidder County moves from yellow moderate to Orange High Risk.

Foster County stays at yellow moderate risk.

Logan County move from green low risk to yellow moderate risk.

Griggs County was moved from green low risk to yellow moderate risk level.

 

  • Critical (red): Non-essential businesses closed
  • High (orange): 25% occupancy with a cap of 50 people (changed from non-essential businesses closed); encourage businesses to require face coverings
  • Moderate (yellow): 50% occupancy with a cap of 100 people (down from 250); encourage businesses to require face coverings
  • Low (green): 75% occupancy with a cap of 200 people (down from 500)
  • New Normal (blue): operate as usual.

 

Chris Jones stressed the increase in COVID-19 cases is putting a significant strain on healthcare and healthcare workers, and hospital bed capacities.  Jones also urged resident to get flu shots.

Burgum added that, the North Dakota Department of Commerce Wednesday announced the second round of the Economic Resiliency Grant (ERG) also known as the Hospitality ERG.

Applications are expected to open the week of Nov. 16 and will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding will be approved if the application meets all criteria and funding is available. Additional information will soon be available at belegendary.link/ERG.

Due to the continuing need of assistance, the second round of the ERG will focus on reimbursing hospitality businesses that were directly impacted by Executive Order 2020-06. This includes all restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes and similar on-site dining establishments.

Additionally, the Hospitality ERG will also focus on businesses affected by the closures such as theaters, music and entertainment venues, and professional production companies that support major venue meetings and events.

Commerce was approved by the Emergency Commission to use the remaining ERG funds estimated to be approximately $25 million and an additional $29 million for the Hospitality ERG to support more than 3,000 food service, drinking establishment, entertainment venues and professional production companies operating in North Dakota.