North Dakota's Department of Health on Sunday reported a record high number of active COVID-19 cases in the state.
The department reported 4,489 new test results diagnosing 92 new cases in 19 counties, including 21 in Burleigh County, 21 in Cass County, 16 in Grand Forks County, five in Morton County, and one in Kidder County, which neighbors Burleigh to the east. Of the 4,334 total COVID-19 cases in North Dakota, 677 are active, surpassing the May 21 record of 670. Active cases have tripled in the last three weeks.
Hospitalizations have doubled from 10 days ago, up to 38 people on Sunday, out of 271 total since the start of the pandemic. Thirty-seven people were reported Sunday as newly recovered from the respiratory disease.
Burleigh County leads the state with 190 active cases, up nine from the Saturday. The county has had 444 total cases and no deaths.
People are also reading…
Neighboring Morton County has 42 active cases, up five from the day before. The county has had 131 total cases, which include two deaths.
State officials are monitoring Burleigh and Morton counties for emergence as a hot spot and could establish a coronavirus task force as was done to address Cass County, where 72 of the state's 87 COVID-19 deaths have occurred. Cass County has 139 active cases out of 2,464 cases total.
Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health has set another mass testing event from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bismarck Event Center.
State and private labs have handled more than 228,500 tests of more than 122,400 people, many of whom have been tested more than once. About 1 in 6 North Dakota residents has been tested at least once.
Most people who get COVID-19 recover, experiencing only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. Others, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, can experience more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.
For more information on coronavirus in North Dakota, go to health.nd.gov/coronavirus.