ND announces community spread Coronavirus, recommends bars & restaurants to have to-go orders only

There are two more cases of Coronavirus in North Dakota, this time in Morton County. It’s the first instance of community spread of the illness in the state. Those cases are a woman in her 20s and a person age 10 to 19. Neither has a history of travel or has come into contact with someone who has Covid 19.

The Health Department is working on identifying people who have come into close contact with them.

Gov. Doug Burgum shared the importance of social distancing and staying home if you’re sick. 116,000, or 15% of North Dakota’s population is over the age of 65. There’s also 54,000 with diabetes. He says these people would be the hardest hit by the virus.

“The mortality rate for this disease escalates with age and it also escalates with underlying respiratory or other chronic diseases like diabetes,” Burgum explained.

The state is also working on recommendations on who should get tested because of a shortage of testing swabs.

Burgum is now strongly recommending bars and restaurants have to-go orders only and movie theaters and gyms close because of community spread of the virus.