CSi Weather…

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows in the mid 20s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the west around 20 mph with gusts to around 35 mph in the afternoon.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Windy. Lows in the lower 20s.

Northwest winds 25 to 30 mph.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Northwest winds

15 to 25 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows 15 to 20.

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows in the lower 20s.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

.THURSDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

 

UPDATE

Bismarck  (CSi) – Gov. Doug Burgum Friday night announced several mitigation measures aimed at slowing the accelerating spread of COVID-19 in North Dakota in order to protect the vulnerable, ensure hospital capacity and keep schools and the economy open.

 

Capacity is strained across the state’s health care system, jeopardizing the ability of hospitals to provide the first-rate treatment North Dakotans are accustomed to – not only for COVID-19 patients, but also for those seeking care for heart attacks, cancer, trauma and other urgent needs, Burgum noted.

 

“Our doctors and nurses heroically working on the front lines need our help, and they need it now. Since the beginning, we’ve taken a data-driven approach to our pandemic response, focusing on saving lives and livelihoods. Right now, the data demands a higher level of mitigation efforts to reverse these dangerous trends, to slow the spread of this virus and to avoid the need for economic shutdowns,” Burgum said in a video message announcing the measures. “Our situation has changed, and we must change with it. Tonight, we’re announcing four measures designed to reduce the spread of infections in our communities to protect our most vulnerable and to ensure hospital capacity.”

 

The measures include a State Health Officer order requiring face coverings to be worn in indoor businesses and indoor public settings as well as outdoor public settings where physical distancing isn’t possible. The order, signed by interim State Health Officer Dirk Wilke, is effective from Nov. 14 through Dec. 13. It includes exceptions for children under age 5, individuals with a medical or mental health condition or disability that makes it unreasonable to wear a mask, and religious services.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that “adopting universal masking policies can help avert future lockdowns,” and that masks protect not only the people around the individual wearing the mask but also the mask wearer.

 

“The most effective weapon against COVID-19 is wearing a mask,” Wilke said. “This is a simple tool, but one that’s critical in helping protect our loved ones and slow the spread.”

 

Burgum signed an executive order today to implement the other mitigation measures, which take effect Monday, Nov. 16, and are as follows:

 

  • All bars, restaurants and food service establishments are limited to 50 percent of their licensed seated capacity, not to exceed 150 patrons, and are closed to in-person service between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Take-out, curbside and delivery will still be allowed during those hours, and Burgum encouraged North Dakotans to take advantage and support local businesses.

 

For those that were already following the ND Smart Restart recommendations of 25 percent capacity in high-risk counties, the change will allow them to safely welcome more customers into their establishments with masking and distancing requirements.

 

Burgum noted the state will soon make $54 million available through a hospitality grant program to help these businesses navigate this challenging time, and has made $70 million available through the Bank of North Dakota to buy down interest on eligible existing debt for any business whose revenue was impacted negatively by COVID-19.

 

  • All banquet, ballroom and event venues are limited to 25 percent of their maximum occupancy, not to exceed new capacity limits that have been established with input from venues and local public health officials based on the size of the venue. Physical distancing and masks will be required for the safety of all venue personnel and patrons.

 

  • Playoff championship contests and performance events sponsored by the North Dakota High School Activities Association during the month of November may continue under NDHSAA requirements. All high school winter sports and other extracurricular K-12 school activities are suspended until Dec. 14. This also applies to all association, community and club sports for youth and adults.

 

College and intercollegiate activities must follow guidance from the North Dakota University System and their respective national organizations.

 

Burgum said the four-week pause in activities will help keep schools open to in-person instruction – the optimal learning environment for most students – and ensure that students continue to follow the mitigation strategies of wearing a mask and physical distancing.

 

“I fully support and endorse the orders signed today by Gov. Burgum and the State Health Officer,” said Dr. Joshua Wynne, North Dakota’s chief health strategist and dean of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. “We as citizens of North Dakota need to act now to limit further spread of the virus and thus prevent our hospital capacity from being threatened. Let’s do these things now so that by Thanksgiving the pandemic situation in North Dakota will be headed in the right direction.”

 

Those who violate the mask and capacity requirements may be cited for an infraction. Burgum urged law enforcement and public health agencies to prioritize education in their enforcement, providing warnings and education about the risk of transmission, while reserving penalties for the most egregious violations that put public health at risk.

 

Industries not covered by the executive order should continue to follow the North Dakota Smart Restart guidelines.

 

In addition to these four measures, state officials continue to meet daily with North Dakota’s major hospitals to optimize capacity planning and assist with resource needs.

 

“Despite North Dakota’s remarkable efforts at testing and case finding, these measures are no longer enough, and we are now in desperate need of implementing stronger measures in order to save lives and preserve our health care workforce and capacity,” said Dr. Paul Carson, an infectious disease specialist, professor of public health at North Dakota State University and physician advisor to the state’s COVID-19 response. “We have a growing body of good evidence that masking, especially when paired with other mitigation strategies, can substantially reduce the spread of the virus. I am very grateful that the Governor has taken the bold measure to implement an enforced mask mandate across the state, and am hopeful this will help to flatten the curve.”

 

Medical experts say small social gatherings with family and friends are also driving the current COVID-19 surge across the nation. Burgum urged North Dakotans to try to limit gatherings to their immediate household group as much as possible for the next four weeks and to wear a mask if gathering with people from outside the household.

 

“We believe in North Dakotans. We believe in the power of individual responsibility. And we need individual responsibility now more than ever to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Burgum said.

 

For more information on North Dakota’s COVID-19 response, visit www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus or www.ndresponse.gov.

 

North Dakota health officials have reported 10 new COVID-19 deaths, raising the state’s death toll from the coronavirus to 707. The deaths reported Friday bring to 144 in November alone, or about a dozen deaths daily for the month. The rate of deaths puts the state on track to surpass October’s tally of 292 deaths, the deadliest month since the pandemic began. The state’s first death attributed to the coronavirus was in March. Health officials on Friday also reported 1,441 new coronavirus infections. That raises the statewide total since the pandemic reached North Dakota in mid-March to 60,602.

NDDoH COVID-19 Stats

Fri. Nov. 13,  2020

11am .

Barnes

ONE NEW DEATH

Man in his 70s

TOTAL DEATHS  3

New Positives   61

Total Positives  649

Active Cases 176

Recovered  470

 

Stutsman

New Positives 42

Total Positives 1815

Active 473

Recovered 1320

 

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


BY THE NUMBERS

11,876 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

985,273 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

1,441 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

60,602 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

13.00% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

10,486 – Total Active Cases

+65 Individuals from Yesterday

1,354 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday (1,163 with a recovery date of yesterday****)

49,409 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

293 – Currently Hospitalized

-1 – Individuals from yesterday

 

10 – New Deaths*** (707 total deaths since the pandemic began) 

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • Man in his 70s from Barnes County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Cass County.
  • Man in his 90s from Cavalier County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Dickey County.
  • Man in his 80s from Grand Forks County.
  • Man in his 70s from McLean County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Ramsey County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Ward County.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED FRIDAY

  • Adams County – 1
  • Barnes County – 61
  • Benson County – 10
  • Bottineau County – 6
  • Bowman County – 1
  • Burke County – 6
  • Burleigh County – 191
  • Cass County – 253
  • Cavalier County – 2
  • Dickey County – 15
  • Divide County – 3
  • Dunn County – 4
  • Eddy County – 8
  • Emmons County – 3
  • Foster County – 10
  • Golden Valley County – 1
  • Grand Forks County – 165
  • Grant County – 1
  • Griggs County – 6
  • Hettinger County – 5
  • Kidder County – 5
  • LaMoure County – 11
  • Logan County – 1
  • McHenry County – 8
  • McIntosh County – 3
  • McKenzie County – 21
  • McLean County – 17
  • Mercer County – 14
  • Morton County – 46
  • Mountrail County – 36
  • Nelson County – 9
  • Pembina County – 19
  • Pierce County – 17
  • Ramsey County – 27
  • Ransom County – 2
  • Renville County – 3
  • Richland County – 24
  • Rolette County – 64
  • Sargent County – 2
  • Sheridan County – 2
  • Sioux County – 19
  • Stark County – 12
  • Stutsman County – 42
  • Towner County – 3
  • Traill County – 2
  • Walsh County – 33
  • Ward County – 183
  • Wells County – 5
  • Williams County – 59

 

* 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.

Valley City (VCPS)  Valley City Public Schools Superintendent Josh Johnson in a news release, directed to students, parents/guardians, and community states:

“The Valley City Public School Board approved a recommendation from our District Emergency Response Team (DERT) to continue with Plan B (In-Person Learning). This recommendation follows a change in risk levels that was announced last Thursday (Nov. 5th) and designated Barnes County as ‘Orange’. A copy of the recommendation is attached below. I’ve also linked our website where you can find our District COVID-19 Plan and other resources.

COVID-19 School Updates

Our DERT Team and School Board will continue to monitor the COVID-19 cases within our school district and will be prepared as necessary if changes need to be made to our educational plans. Despite the rising cases within our community and across the state, we are currently reporting (ZERO) positive cases with students and staff. Thank you for the VCSTRONG efforts that everyone is making to allow our district to remain in Plan B. PLEASE…continue to wear your mask, stay at home when you are ill, and social distance from others outside your immediate family.

Valley City  (CSi) Valley City Police Chief Phil Hatcher has informed the community that  this year there will not be the annual Santa Cops and Kids event due to concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic due to safety issues.  He thanks to the generous donations from businesses and individuals in the past who have made this program possible every year.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Nunber 4, is considering other ways to conduct the event in a different format, to cheer up some kids.

They look forward to hosting the event again next year.

If any individual or business would still like to donate to Santa, Cops & Kids program, mail the donation to the Valley City Police Department or drop it off at the Police Department Office in Valley City. If donating with a check, make checks payable to James/Valley Lodge #4.

Santa-Cops-Kids-News-Release from the ND Fraternal Order of Police, James River Valley Region lodge Number 4, in Jamestown.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The City of Jamestown informs motorists that road closures on 2nd St SW, including the intersections of 1st Ave S and 2nd Ave SW will remain closed through Friday, November 20, 2020 for utility work.
Motorists should use extreme caution in this area and use alternate routes as necessary.

Bismarck  (NDDoH)  – Thanksgiving is a time when many families celebrate together. The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) is encouraging all North Dakotans to use standard COVID-19 health precautions and celebrate virtually with extended family this year.

“There are several factors that contribute to the risk of getting infected or infecting others with COVID-19 at a holiday celebration,” said Disease Control Director Kirby Kruger. “If you follow proper precautions, celebrating during the holidays can be done with less risk.”

Lower-risk activities

  • A small dinner with the people who live with you.
  • A virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family.
  • Shopping online or purchasing gift cards from local businesses, rather than shopping in person the Friday after Thanksgiving. You could even book now for a trip you’ll take together later.
  • Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and delivering them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others.

Medium-risk activities

  • A small dinner with a few extended family members who live in your community. Lower your risk by following CDC recommendations for hosting gatherings.
  • Small outdoor sporting events, if you follow safety precautions.

Avoid higher-risk activities

  • Traveling out of town.
  • Shopping in crowded stores, especially just before, on, or after Thanksgiving.
  • Attending or participating in crowded races or parades.
  • Attending medium or large indoor gatherings with people who do not live with you.

 

The North Dakota University System is also requesting that, when possible, students stay on campus over the Thanksgiving break to limit the spread of COVID-19 to family and loved ones. For those students who choose to travel, limit activity and minimize contact with others two weeks prior to any travel or gatherings. The campuses will have testing events before and after the break, and students are encouraged to attend the available testing on campus or in their community.

 

Be diligent about practicing mitigation strategies which include masks, social distancing and hand hygiene. Continue to check with your individual campus for any observances or special arrangements that your campus may have over the holiday.

For more information on COVID-19 in North Dakota, visit health.nd.gov/coronavirus.

 

In World and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has hailed developments in the race for a vaccine for the resurgent coronavirus. He delivered his first public remarks Friday since his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden, even as he refuses to concede the election. Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said a vaccine would ship in “a matter of weeks” to vulnerable populations, though the Food and Drug Administration has not yet been asked to grant the necessary emergency approvals. In addition, there’s no information yet as to whether the vaccine worked in vulnerable populations or only in younger, healthier study volunteers.

(AP)  The S&P 500 is closing at a record high for the first time since September, posting its second weekly gain in a row. The index rose 1.4% Friday, bringing its for November to 9.6%. Hopeful news this week on progress toward a coronavirus vaccine prompted investors to plow money into stocks, especially those of smaller companies, which stand to benefit greatly as the economy recovers. Those gains came at the expense of winners of the stay-at-home economy like Netflix and Amazon that investors have been favoring during the pandemic. The Russell 2000 closed at a record high for the first time since 2018.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is telling young Republican supporters that President Donald Trump remains committed to pursuing legal challenges in hopes of overturning his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden. Pence said in a Friday address to Young America Foundation’s fall college retreat: “We’re going to fight for an outcome in this election that wins us four more years.” Pence offered the conservative group a pep talk as Trump continues to refuse to concede. On Friday, Trump again pressed baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, even as his own administration has said there is no evidence to support the claims.

 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — With the coronavirus coming back with a vengeance across the country and the U.S. facing a long, dark winter, governors and other elected officials are showing little appetite for imposing the kind of lockdowns and large-scale business closings seen last spring. Many also continue to resist issuing statewide mask rules. Among the reasons given: public fatigue, fear of doing more damage to already-crippled businesses, lack of support from Washington, and the way efforts to tame the virus have become dangerously politicized.

 

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice ordered the wearing of masks at all times in businesses and other indoor spaces starting at midnight. The Republican governor say businesses will need to post signs notifying entrants of the mask requirement under his executive order. Justice urged businesses that encounter patrons not wearing a mask to call the police. Justice called it “silly to be in a public building with strangers walking around without a mask on. Even if you have this macho belief.” He says public and private schools must use remote instruction from Thanksgiving through Dec. 3. All winter high school sports are postponed until Jan. 11. There were 563 cases reported Friday, bringing the total to more than 28,000. The state added 11 deaths to reach 565.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is sounding an alarm about restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Alito says that “whatever one may think about the COVID restrictions, we surely don’t want them to become a recurring feature after the pandemic has passed.” Alito made the comments in an address Thursday to the conservative Federalist Society, which is holding its annual convention virtually because of the pandemic. Alito says it is an “indisputable statement of fact” that “we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020.”

 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has rejected an effort led by a Republican congressional candidate to block about 9,300 ballots that arrived after Election Day. The three-judge panel on Friday noted the “unprecedented challenges” facing the nation this year, especially the “vast disruption” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling involves the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision to accept mail-in ballots that arrived within three days of the end of polls closing. Separately, a national law firm that came under criticism for its work for the Trump campaign asked to withdraw from a lawsuit that seeks to stop Pennsylvania officials from certifying the election results.

 

ATLANTA (AP) — Election officials in Georgia’s 159 counties are undertaking a hand tally of the presidential race that stems from an audit required by state law. The law requires that one race be audited by hand to check that the machines counted the ballots accurately, not because of any suspected problems with the results. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger chose to audit the presidential race, in which Democrat Joe Biden leads Republican President Donald Trump by about 14,000 votes. Raffensperger says the tight margin means a full hand count is necessary. The counties are to complete the audit by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly released records show a white Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer who shot a Black man in the back had been the subject of five internal investigations during his seven-year career. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday that Rusten Sheskey was reprimanded three times for crashing his squad car on three separate occasions, and his actions in two domestic violence arrests came under scrutiny but didn’t violate policy. Sheskey shot Jacob Blake in the back on Aug. 23 during a domestic call. The shooting set off several nights of protests in Kenosha, some of them violent.