North Dakota reports six COVID-19 deaths and increase in active cases

The deaths included two residents from #Burleigh #County, two residents from #McLean #County and one each from #Logan and #Ward counties. The residents whose deaths were reported #Wednesday ranged between their 60s and their 100s.

#Over the last month and a half, active COVID-19 cases have plummeted from their peak of more than 10,000 on #Nov. 13, and #Wednesday’s active case increase marked a break from the trend of recent weeks. #Now, 1,821 #North #Dakotans are known to be infected with the virus, up 120 from #Tuesday. #With the declines of the last few weeks, active virus cases in #North #Dakota are at their lowest point since late #August, when the state’s virus surge was just beginning.

The health department says 1,282 #North #Dakotans have died with COVID-19 since #March. The state is averaging nearly eight deaths per day in #December, marking a drop from #November when an average of more than 16 #North #Dakotans died each day. #However, the state has the fourth-highest number of deaths per capita in the country over the course of the pandemic, according to the #Centers for #Disease #Control and #Prevention.

#At least 768 of the state’s deaths have come in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. There are 50 infected nursing home residents in the state, down more than 300 from the beginning of the month.

#Virus hospitalizations have also cleared significantly, down by more than 200 people from mid-November. #On #Wednesday the number of #North #Dakotans hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped by 19 from the day before, bringing the state below 100 virus hospitalizations for the first time since #September.

The department reported 375 new cases on #Wednesday, including:

• 72 from #Cass #County, which includes #Fargo.
• 35 from #Burleigh #County, which encompasses #Bismarck.
• 20 from #Grand #Forks #County.

#About 4.7% of the 7,919 residents tested as part of the latest batch received a positive result, and the average positivity rate of those tested in the last two weeks is about 4.6%. The state does not yet report how many residents tested negative on rapid antigen tests, though 119 of #Wednesday’s positives came from the new 15-minute tests.

#Health care workers began receiving their first doses of the newly released COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month, and vaccinations in state nursing homes are underway this week. #Public health officials have urged #North #Dakotans to refrain from travel and large gatherings for the #Christmas and #New #Year’s holidays, to avoid a #January bump in cases.

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#Readers can reach #Forum #News #Service reporter #Adam #Willis, a #Report for #America corps member, at [email protected]