COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of North Dakota on March 11, 2020. there are 5,986 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota with a total of 123 deaths and 337 people hospitalized. Out of the 49 counties with positive cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota, Grand Forks and Cass lead the state for highest number of positive COVID-19 cases, with Grand Forks totaling 601 and Cass county with 2,816.
Timeline
March
March 11
On March 11, the state's first case was confirmed, in Ward County. North Dakota Native American tribes, Standing Rock Sioux and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, restrict travel into reservations to limit spread of COVID-19.March 13–15
On March 13, when the North Dakota tested 63 people for coronavirus infection, 46 results were negative, 16 tests were pending. Still only one confirmed positive case of coronavirus in state. Governor Doug Burgum declared a state of emergency. Burgum announces COVID-19 Unified Command, led by North Dakota State Health Officer, Mylynn Tufte and North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, Major General Alan Dohrmann. Additional members include North Dakota University System Chancellor, Mark Hargerott, and State Superintendent, Kristen Baesler.On March 14, the state health department tested a total of 87 people for COVID-19. 80 results were negative and 6 tests were pending results. Still only one confirmed positive case of coronavirus in state.
On March 15, Doug Burgum closed public and non-public schools from March 16–20.
March 16–18
On March 16, the state health department tested 124 people for coronavirus infection and 123 tests showed a negative result. Doug Burgum allowed essential school district workers to meet at schools to create plans for continuation of meal support programs, lesson plans for special needs students, as well as alternative lesson plans.On March 17, the state government confirmed four more cases, including two in Burleigh County, one in Cass County, and one in Ward County, for a total of five in the state. All five were people who had recently traveled outside North Dakota. A total of 253 individuals have been tested with 248 being negative results and five being positive.
On March 18, the state confirmed two new COVID-19 cases emerged from Morton County which are the first confirmed cases of community spread in the state. There is a total of seven positive cases of coronavirus with 362 people tested in the state and 355 negative test results.
March 19–20
On March 19, Governor Doug Burgum made an executive order limiting access to state facilities. Burgum restricted restaurants and bars to take-out/delivery/drive-through/off-sale service as well as ordered movie theaters, other entertainment venues, health clubs, and gyms to close until April 6. The state health department confirmed eight additional cases of COVID-19 in Burleigh and Morton counties, for a total of 15 positive tests for coronavirus. 508 people have been tested, 493 tests came back negative, 15 positive with one individual hospitalized. Doug Burgum ordered state facilities to limit access.On March 20, 11 positive cases of COVID-19 are confirmed by the state health department from Ramsey, Morton, Burleigh, and Pierce counties. There are a total of 26 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 2 people have been hospitalized. Burgum expanded hospital and health care facility licensure requirements to include telehealth. Burgum broadened eligibility for unemployment benefits relating to COVID-19.
March 21–23
On March 21, no new cases of coronavirus were identified today leaving the total number of active cases at 28 with 3 people hospitalized. Governor Doug Burgum established quicker routes of access for prescription medications refills and allows pharmacists to perform COVID-19 tests.On March 22, two more cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Burleigh County where a young woman in her 30s contracted the virus while traveling and a man in Pierce County contracted the disease after coming in close contact with another infected individual. A total of 30 confirmed COVID-19 cases are in the state, 1,355 have been tested, and 3 individuals are in the hospital getting treatment for COVID-19. Burgum ordered all public and private K-12 schools to close and advised educators to create online learning platforms for students.
On March 23, three positive cases were added in North Dakota bringing the total number of positive COVID-19 cases to 33. No deaths have been reported due to COVID-19 in North Dakota, but four individuals remain hospitalized.
March 24–26
On March 24, three positive COVID-19 tests were added in Burleigh County from a woman having close contact to a COVID-19-positive individual and two men from Cass County, one in his 70s and the other in his 90s. A total of 36 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported for North Dakota, 7 individuals were hospitalized, no deaths have been reported, and the state has tested 1,602 individuals across 48 out of 53 counties in the state. Burgum released an executive order halting in-person North Dakota Department of Transportation administrative hearings and eliminates load restrictions on state highways.On March 25, nine new cases arose in North Dakota hailing from a Ramsey, Morton, Cass, and Stark counties. There are 45 total cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota, eight total individuals are hospitalized, and no deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported. On this day, an executive order from Doug Burgum expanded worker's compensation coverage to first responders and health care providers who contract COVID-19. Burgum announced that the state received a total of 11,700 unemployment claims in the past week.
On March 26, 13 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported by the state from McHenry, Burleigh, Stark, McIntosh, Cass, and Ward counties. A total of 58 cases of coronavirus have been identified in the state, eleven individuals are in the hospital, and no deaths due have been reported. Burgum expands vote-by-mail flexibility by waiving the requirement to have in-person voting facilities for counties.
March 27–31
On March 27, North Dakota reports its first death related to COVID-19 where a man in his 90s from Cass county had underlying health conditions and contracted the virus through community spread. The state confirmed 10 additional positive cases, 16 people are hospitalized and 15 people are recovering from the virus.for a total of 68 positive cases in North Dakota. Burgum releases two executive orders where he 1) expanded his March 20 executive order to mandate that all salons, massage facilities, and tattoo parlors close until further notice and 2) halted all unemployment tax payments and interest charges.On March 28, 26 new cases of COVID-19 were identified by the state health department in Burleigh, Morton, Cass, Stark, Ward,Ramsey, two new cases in Barnes, McLean, Montrail, and Pierce counties, and one new case in Dunn, Divide, Foster, McHenry, McIntosh, Mercer, Sioux and Walsh counties bringing the total number of positive cases to 94. 16 people have been hospitalized, 18 individuals recovered from COVID-19 infections, and there has only been one death in the state. In response to the rise in cases, Governor Burgum signed an executive order stating that any person traveling back to North Dakota from another state or internationally must self-isolate for 14 days as per recommendation by Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
On March 29, four new cases of coronavirus were confirmed by the state for a total of 98 positive infections of COVID-19 in North Dakota. A total of 18 people are hospitalized, 19 people have recovered, and one death has been recorded due to COVID-19. Governor Burgum has requested a major presidential disaster declaration to access emergency federal aid to help the state's effort of mitigating COVID-19. Federal aid requested by Burgum from the major presidential disaster declaration would be used for public infrastructure and facilities, grants to counties and tribal nations, monetary aid for individuals and households, and continuing supplemental nutrition programs.
On March 30, 11 positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and two new deaths due to coronavirus were reported for a total of 109 people in North Dakota who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 3 deaths related to the virus. The two deaths reported on this day were from an elderly woman in McHenry county who had underlying health conditions and an elderly man from Morton county who also had underlying health problems. Burgum revised his March 13 executive order to allow for some districts to reopen schools and facilities for childcare services for healthcare worker families.
On March 31, 17 additional cases of COVID-19 are confirmed making the total of positive coronavirus cases in North Dakota 126. On this day, 21 people were hospitalized, 30 have recovered from the coronavirus infection, and three deaths have been reported by the state due to COVID-19. Cass County leads the state with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases at 31, Burleigh County had 30 cases, and Morton County had 14 cases to date. Governor Burgum announced the beginning of North Dakota's Workforce Coordination Center which aims to support the needs of emergency workforce that have been impacted by COVID-19.
April
April 1–3
On April 1, 33 people tested positive for COVID-19 from McKenzie, Stark, Cass, Montrail, Burke, Burleigh, Grand Forks, and Ward counties for a total of 159 COVID-19 positive cases. So far, 28 people have been hospitalized, 43 have recovered, and 3 people have died from the coronavirus. Both state and private laboratories have tested 4,627 individuals with 4,480 coming back negative. To date, most cases of COVID-19 in the state have been due to community spread whereas only 33 cases have been related to travel. Burgum extended his March 19 executive order to keep restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes, recreational facility, and personal care service closed until April 20. He also signed a new executive order waiving the one-week waiting period to access unemployment benefits to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and household members who lost their job.On April 2, 14 people test positive for the coronavirus in Morton, Williams, Eddy, Montrail, Slope, Stark, Cass, and Grand Forks counties leaving a total of 173 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state. There have been 29 people hospitalized statewide, 55 have recovered from COVID-19, and three deaths have been reported.
On April 3, 13 cases have tested positive for coronavirus for a total of 186 cases in the state. A total of 30 people were hospitalized, 63 have recovered from the virus, and three people have died. Cass County continues to lead the state with the highest number of cases with 48, Burleigh County in second with 34, Stark County in third with 22, and Morton county in fourth with 22 cases of coronavirus. The state received $34 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration to ensure that state transportation will continue to function safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. North Dakota received $18 million from the CARES Act with cities like Fargo getting $8 million, Bismark getting $3.7 million, and Grand Forks receiving $3.4 million. Tribal national also received grant funding with Standing Rock obtaining $369,000 and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa receiving $191,000. Gov. Burgum announced start of pilot project, "Operation Drive-in" aimed at creating drive-through COVID-19 testing facilities throughout the state to widely test individuals, even those who may not appear to have symptoms of the coronavirus.
April 4–6
On April 4, 21 more individuals test positive for COVID-19 making the total number of active cases in the state, 207. To date, there are 31 people in the hospital due to COVID-19, 63 people have recovered, and 3 people have died. Cass County leads the state with the highest number of cases at 54, Burleigh County at 37, Stark County with 25, and Morton County.On April 5, 18 more positive cases have been confirmed by the state making the total 225. To date, 32 total people have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, 19 people are actively in the hospital with the virus, 74 individuals have recovered from their illness, and the state death toll remains at three.
On April 6, the state health department has confirmed 12 more positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 237 positive cases. To date, 33 people have been hospitalized, 18 currently in the hospital, 82 have recovered from the virus, and four have died. The Department of Homeland Security and state Agriculture Commissioner, Doug Goehring, deem food and agriculture industries, including beekeepers, essential business for the state.
April 7–9
On April 7, 14 more positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by the state health department making the total number of cases for North Dakota, 251. Of the 251 confirmed cases, 98 people have recovered from their infection, a total of 34 people have been hospitalized, 16 individuals remain in the hospital, and four people have died. On this day, Governor Doug Burgum signed two executive orders including 1) Gov. Burgum announces an executive order mandating any household and its members to self-isolate if any one of them tested positive for COVID-19. and 2) an order that restricts visitation to long-term care facilities, which included nursing homes and hospice care facilities with exceptions being made for circumstances surrounding medical and emotional care for patients with terminal illnesses. The state launched the Care19 app, created by the app developer ProudCrowd, to slow the spread of the coronavirus by actively identifying people who have come in contact with other infected individuals. The app is designed to track citizens location and identify those who may have come in contact with people tested positive. However, the app has been criticized for failing to track its users accurately and has had trouble getting downloads.On April 8, 18 individuals test positive for COVID-19 making the total number of cases in the state 269. To date, 101 people have recovered from COVID-19, 34 people have been hospitalized, 14 are currently in the hospital, and 5 people have died. Mylynn Tufte, state health official and member of COVID-19 Unified Command, lifted the March 28 executive order signing that individuals must quarantine for 14 days if traveling back to North Dakota from a different state or internationally.
On April 9, nine more individuals test positive for COVID-19 bringing the total number of cases in the state to 287. There have been 105 individuals who have recovered from the virus, 36 who were hospitalized, 13 people currently in the hospital, and six people have been reported dead from the coronavirus.
On April 18, North Dakota experienced its largest increase in COVID-19 confirmed cases after an outbreak was confirmed at a LM Wind Power manufacturing plant in Grand Forks.