Contact Tracing

North Dakota Has 1st Case of Monkeypox

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota has its first confirmed case of monkeypox. Department of Health says a person living in the eastern part of the state got the illness while traveling out of state. The sample has been sent to the CDC for positive confirmation. The person who tested positive is currently isolating and the health department is doing…

North Dakota Guard Members Get New Pandemic Orders

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Dozens of North Dakota National Guard members are resuming support for the state’s coronavirus pandemic response. The Guard announced Friday that about 50 of its members are assisting the state Health Department with contact tracing and about 15 others are helping at the state laboratory in Bismarck. The group is expected to remain on active duty…

Governor Burgum addresses hospital strain as capacity limits are reached

"We want to make sure that North Dakotans know that the risk is real."

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — A rise in COVID-19 cases has North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum alongside state hospital leaders addressing the increase of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, hospitals across the state are beginning to see a repeat of last year’s record high hospitalizations. “Let’s take a look back a year ago, COVID has…

UND student shares experience with contact tracing in a state where COVID-19 is surging

Kailee Leingang has shifted from identifying close contacts to being a case investigator.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Like many pursuing a career in the medical field, University of North Dakota nursing student, Kailee Leingang, felt compelled to do her part once the COVID-19 pandemic began. “I wanted to do as much as I could, but I knew that I didn’t have the license to do everything I wanted to do,” Leingang said. “If…

Governor Walz says Covid-19 cases ‘will not get good over the next few weeks’

What makes him feel hopeful and optimistic is he has a plan.

MOORHEAD, Minn.-  Governor Tim Walz hosts a roundtable in Moorhead to talk about the impact of COVID-19 in the area Randi Trowbdridge and her daughter were the first ones in their Barnesville household to get COVID-19. Their symptoms were mild. “Cold, sinus infection type,” Trowbridge said. Five days later, Randi’s husband started developing symptoms. At first, they were mild as…

North Dakota asking people positive for COVID-19 to do their own contact tracing

Fargo Cass Public Health says it hopes to be able to catch up on the backlog by the end of the day.

FARGO, N.D.- The rise of COVID-19 cases has created a backlog for the North Dakota Health Department causing them to make new changes to the way they do contact tracing. With coronavirus cases spiking in the state, Fargo Cass Public Health is prioritizing the work of their contact tracers. “The changes we are expecting and would like is for the…

North Dakota Positive COVID-19 Patients Told To Self-Notify Close Contacts

Close contacts will no longer be contacted by public health officials

BISMARCK, N.D. — To deal with the backlog of contact tracing, the health department is now instructing those who test positive for COVID-19 to self-notify their close contacts. Gov. Doug Burgum and state health officials say a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks has put increased pressure on contact tracing teams. That has resulted in tracing delays and a…

Fargo Blues Festival Plays On With New COVID-19 Rules

Saturday's lineup of performances starts at noon and tickets can be purchased on site.

FARGO, N.D. — “The blues fest is a wonderful event this is our 25th annual and the blues just reach everyone that loves music,” Kristi Bredell  said. The stage is being set up with rain coverings for the Blues Festival at the Newman Outdoor Field. The two day celebration is the first major music fest in the Fargo-Moorhead area since…

Department of Health warns Minnesotans about COVID-19 contact tracing text scam

ST. PAUL, Minn.–The Minnesota Department of Commerce and Minnesota Department of Health are warning the public about text scams related to COVID-19 contact tracing. Contact tracing is used to slow the spread of the virus by contacting infected individuals to determine who may have been exposed. Those individuals are then contacted and told to watch for symptoms and self-isolate. Officials…

Burgum: ND to launch second COVID-19 contact tracing app

The new app is expected to be available within two weeks.

BISMARCK, N.D.–Gov. Doug Burgum announced a second contact tracing app is in the works to assist public health agencies track COVID-19. The new app will be known as Care19 Exposure and is expected to be available within two weeks. The app will use exposure notification technology developed by Apple and Google. When an individual tests positive for COVID-19, notifications will…