COVID-19 on the Rise in Beltrami County

Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Beltrami County. Vaccinations are nearing 50% in the community, but health professionals warn that we are not out of the woods yet.

The CDC has found that COVID-19 was a top leading cause of death in 2020. It is rare for a new disease to make such an impact in such a short amount of time. COVID-19 was also a leading cause of excess deaths in the last year.

In Beltrami County, COVID-19 is slowly on the rise, this being a similar rise to August and September of 2020. The largest difference is that the age of the hospitalizations has dropped from an average of 65 to 56. There are currently three people hospitalized with one in the ICU.

Another reason for the rise is the UK strain becoming prominent in the state. It now comprises 55% of cases in Minnesota.

Vaccinations are moving steadily with nearly half of the population receiving one so far, but there is still a ways to go. While the older population is being vaccinated at a higher rate, only around 30% of younger people have received a dose.

Anyone interested in a vaccine appointment can call Sanford Health at (877) 701-0779. You do not need to be a Sanford patient to be vaccinated, but you must be 16 or older. Sanford has put a hold on vaccinating using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine per the recommendations made by the CDC.