Current COVID-19 Community Levels

Based on new data released yesterday by the CDC, nine Minnesota counties are now in the high COVID-19 Community Level rating, including two in the Lakeland viewing area.

Itasca and Koochiching counties are currently rated “high” under the CDC’s ratings, which are based on the number of cases and hospital admissions per 100,000 people, as well as the percentage of beds in use. Community levels can indicate how easy it may be to get care for COVID-19 in each county.

Elsewhere, Beltrami, Clearwater, Mille Lacs, and Mahnomen counties are in the “medium” level, while 10 other counties are in the “low” level.

However, most counties in the Lakeland viewing area and across the state are listed as having high community transmission rates. These reflect the risk of catching the virus in public spaces, and the metrics used are new cases per 100,000 people and recorded positive tests in the last seven days.

In the Lakeland viewing area, only Clearwater County, at a moderate level, as a community transmission rate listed as being less than high.

By — Lakeland News