ND active COVID cases hit ’21 high; MN official laments hospital crisis

Active cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota have hit their highest level since last December.

Today’s (Thu’s) report from the state health department shows 4,490 active cases… including 238 in Grand Forks County.

North Dakota reports 709 new cases, with 40 of them in Grand Forks County.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Health Commissioner said Thursday that COVID has put the state’s hospitals in a capacity crisis.

Jan Malcolm said 881 COVID patients are in Minnesota hospitals, with 234 in intensive care – the highest numbers so far in 2021.

And she says pediatric numbers are a big concern.

“There are no pediatric hospital beds available in the central Minnesota region, only 2 available in the southeast, 1 bed each in the northwest and south central and only 7 available beds in the metro region,” Malcolm said.

She added, “There are no available pediatric ICU beds in the southeast region and only 7 beds available in the metro area.”

According to Malcolm, the state is averaging more than 3,000 COVID cases per week among children under 12 – a high mark in the pandemic.

Today’s (Thu’s) report shows 514 new cases in Minnesota K-12 schools – 441 involving students… 73 among school staff.

The state reports 2,674 new cases, with 9 in Polk County.

More than 70 deaths have been reported in the last two daily reports.

Malcolm implored residents to get vaccinated and take measures to limit the spread of the virus.