Gov. Burgum Predicts Cass County Coronavirus Cases Could Spike

He says that is because roughly 300 samples taken in the county had to be sent to a national lab for testing

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is predicting a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in Cass County.

He says that is because roughly 300 samples taken in the county had to be sent to a national lab for testing.

The test results were initially expected in a couple of days, but could now take up to a week.

He points to neighboring South Dakota which is reporting a spike with six additional cases in Beadle County and one in Brown County.

Burgum says no community is immune.

“Eastern North Dakota or northwestern Minnesota because those could have been Minnesota people getting tested in Cass County,” said Burgum.

“We could see a step-up there so again we should presume given that large number of pendings that we have more cases that are out there then we know of.”

Burgum has requested a significant increase in contact tracing efforts to better determine who newly identified COVID-19 cases have been in contact with in recent days.

The state has confirmed two additional cases of COVID-19: a woman in her 30’s in Burleigh County and a man in his 40’s in Pierce County.

The woman’s case was travel-related, and the man had been in close contact with a known positive case.

The state has tested 1,355 people and four are hospitalized.

Minnesota has 169 positive cases including a second case in Clay County.

The individual is a male in his 40’s who recently traveled domestically.

The man is isolated at home and he is being monitored by the Minnesota Department of
Health.

The state has tested 4,680 people and there has been one death, a person in their 80’s in Ramsey County.