COVID-19 Pandemic Daily Ticker: March 19-25

A mere four hours after the last print edition went to press, Governor Doug Burgum made a big announcement that affected all of us. He signed executive orders limiting school and business activity throughout the state. One order effectively closed bars and restaurants to any dine-in or on sale activity amid coronavirus concerns; and ordered school buildings to stay closed indefinitely. He also ordered the closure of recreational facilities such as theatres, bowling alleys, health clubs and gyms.

“We anticipate there will be additional North Dakotans who test positive for COVID-19 in the coming days and weeks, we urge residents to prepare, not panic, and to follow social distancing recommendations,” said State Health Officer Mylynn Tufte. “Take steps such as ensuring you have materials on hand to self-isolate for two weeks or explore whether there are options to telecommute. Individuals should follow the presidential guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

CHI St. Alexius Carrington announced Thursday, March 19, that its New Rockford Clinic would close for four weeks. Here’s a timeline of key facts and community efforts to combat COVID-19 in the past week.

March 20

According to the NDDoH, COVID-19 cases were confirmed in two new counties Friday- Ramsey and Pierce. The count was 26 cases across six counties.

March 21

The United States closed its borders to unnecessary travel with both Mexico and Canada.

The NDDoH and private labs conducted 244 total tests for COVID-19. The statewide total confirmed cases stood at 28.

March 22

The NDDoH & private labs conducted 173 total tests for COVID-19 with two new positive cases for a statewide total of 30. The U.S. deaths now pass the 500-mark.

March 23

Cases totaled 33 statewide. Four individuals were hospitalized. As of Saturday, the state had received tests from 48 of the 52 counties, and a total of 1,440 tests had been conducted. Governor Burgum said that we have a situation unlike the rest of the country and the world; however, we are not “geographically immune” from this virus. There were over 42,000 confirmed cases in the U.S. at that time, up by over 6,000 from the day prior.

“Each day like this is one more to prepare,” said Burgum. “If you feel you’re sick enough to need a test, you should be self-isolating.” Stay as socially connected as you can but keep a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Write letters, send an email, use Facetime or Skype or call someone on the phone. Burgum encouraged people to use the area parks and trails. ”Keep your distance away from others, but please do get outside and enjoy the fresh air, ” he said.

Spirit Lake Casino & Resort announced Monday that it would close until further notice due to the outbreak. All hotel reservations during the closure period were to be automatically cancelled, and refund would be issued within days. Online reservations for upcoming entertainment was also suspended.

March 24

The state Health Department on Tuesday reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours. The number of hospitalized patients increased from four to seven. The total number of positive cases stands at 36.

North Dakota could be one of the last states to lift restrictions meant to help contain the coronavirus, mainly because it's part of the final wave of the pandemic, Republican Gov. Doug Burgum said Tuesday. Burgum said it wouldn't make sense to pick one date for every state.

“I think it's difficult for us. We're on the tail end of this pandemic. It's moving across the world,” Burgum said. “We maybe put on controls later than some places... and that may mean we have to keep them on longer in North Dakota than other places that are relaxing them."

Burgum announced that the Bank of North Dakota was taking requests to defer student loan payments for six months. It will also reduce interest costs for people with both fixed- and variable-rate loans. Borrowers should contact the Bank of North Dakota to request deferment. The interest rate on all federal student loan debt was reduced to zero percent by executive order of President Donald Trump.

By executive order, Burgum removed all "frost laws" or load restrictions on N.D. state highways, effective immediately. He said the intent was to "minimize disruption to the supply chain" and impact on those delivering essential goods throughout the state.

Local haulers should note, however, that this does NOT apply to county roads. According to Eddy County Road Superintendent Todd Weber, load restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. This is due to the current condition of many county roads. He said that as of 5:30 p.m. neighboring counties Wells and Foster had also decided to keep load restrictions in place on their county roads. The “New Rockford Transcript” will provide updates when this changes.

This action was taken as the number of positive cases for COVID-19 increased to 36 statewide, with seven individuals hospitalized with the virus. According to the N.D. Department of Health, only two tests for COVID-19 had been completed for Eddy County residents and only one test in Foster County. As of Tuesday a total of eight counties had at least one positive case, with Dunn County added to the list.

March 25

Neighboring Foster County had its first confirmed case of the virus. The North Dakota Department of Health confirmed 9 additional cases of COVID-19 that day, bringing the state’s official total to 45 confirmed cases. Stark County was also added to the list, with two confirmed cases that health officials said were a result of community spread. With the addition of Foster and Stark counties, North Dakota now has confirmed COVID-19 cases in 10 counties. The number of hospitalized patients increased to eight.

Staff and students reunited virtually Wednesday for a trial run of their new distance learning initiative. NR-S Superintendent Jill Louters announced that through a partnership with NDTC, they were working to ensure that every family has access to the internet. NDTC employees were planning to work through the weekend to install internet service, free of charge for the remainder of the school year, in homes. The work was expected to be completed as of Monday, March 30.

Spirit Lake Tribal Council issued an executive order implementing a mandatory internal curfew for the entire Spirit Lake Reservation to stop the spread of COVID-19. The curfew went into effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday. All residents of the reservation are to stay in their homes from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. daily until further notice, and tribal law enforcement have been instructed to issue verbal and written citations to violators.

Burgum signed an executive order extending worker’s compensation coverage to first responders and health care providers who contract COVID-19 on the job. An estimated 80,000 workers will be covered under the executive order.

“The environment these workers face today significantly increases their direct exposure to COVID-19,” Burgum said. “The scope of this order is broad and is intended to cover firefighters, law enforcement, ambulance service providers, medical service providers, and volunteer first responders and medical service providers— all critical in the fight against this virus.”

This executive order also provides up to 14 days of medical and wage replacement benefits if first responders and health care providers are quarantined. No benefits will be paid after the quarantine period has ended unless the employee tests positive for COVID-19. If the virus is contracted on the job, the employee becomes eligible for full workers’ compensation benefits just like any other compensable work injury claim.

The CDC reported 54,453 cases of COVID-19 – both confirmed and presumptive – across the U.S. as of Wednesday. The majority of diagnoses have been located in Washington state, California, and New York. A total of 737 people in the United States have died from the virus.

Burgum, Tufte and other state health officials strongly recommend that North Dakotans follow the guidelines released by the White House to slow the spread of coronavirus:

• Stay home and don’t go to work if you feel sick, practice good hygiene.

• Wash your hands, avoid touching your face and cover coughs and sneezes.

• If someone in the household has tested positive for coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.

• Older individuals and those with underlying health conditions should stay away from other people.

• Work from home when possible and avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people.

• Avoid eating or drinking in bars, restaurants and food courts. Use drive-thru, pick up or delivery options.

• Avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips and social visits.

Read regular updates on our website, http://www.newrockfordtranscript.com, or on our Facebook page.