​February 10 Press Conference Summary

Current COVID-19 Case Numbers in North Dakota: 98,214 total positive cases, 759 active confirmed cases, 96,026 recovered, 1,429 deaths, only 34 hospitalized.
Speakers: Governor Burgum, Molly Howell-Immunization Program Manager at North Dakota Department of Health, Christy Massen-Chief Laboratory Officer at North Dakota Department of Health
 
Focus: North Dakota COVID19 management and adjusting

• 92% drop in active cases and 84% drop in positivity.
  • New cases are declining in our region.
  • ND has the second lowest positivity rate of 2.7%, in our region.
    • Wyoming is the lowest at 1.2%. 9 of 53 counties have no active cases.
    • Only Burleigh (153) and Cass (125) counties have more than 100 active cases, but these are the two most populous counties.
• ND is now 50th out of 52 (includes Puerto Rico and District of Columbia) in deaths per capita.
• 2nd in the nation in vaccine doses delivered compared to doses received. 

Additional points of note:

• Vaccine update - Molly Howell
  • 141,267 doses have been administered
    • 12.9% of our population has received at least one dose. 
    • Went over how many additional doses are expected to arrive each week.
  • Many providers have finished vaccinations for the first Phase. People can check for sites and what Phase is eligible at https://www.health.nd.gov/covidvaccinelocator or call hotline 866-207-2880
  • Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be available in March.
    • It is a one-dose vaccine and only needs refrigeration. Trials and results.
• CDC is no longer requiring that individuals quarantine if exposed to COVID if they have been vaccinated two weeks ago (and not more than three months-since that is how long ago the first doses were administered)
• Variants can pose new problems. Dr. Christie Massen said none of the variants have been identified in ND yet, but positive tests are tested to determine if any positive tests are the result of any variants. Because of these variants, it is important to practice safety (distancing, masking, getting tested)
• Long-Term Care visitation rules are administered at the federal level.
  • At this time 80% of ND LTC skilled nursing facilities meet the criteria for indoor visitation, based on county weekly positivity rate and facility COVID status.
  • ND’s LTC positive numbers have dropped greatly because of the good work that has been done.
• Hospitality Grant (HERG) will hold another round of applications.
  • $30 million in remaining funds will support restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes, and similar on-site dining establishments.  Funding assistance information 

 Other issues covered: Working hard to re-open. 80% of school children are back to school. Other efforts are going in the right direction for getting back to a new normal. Rapid Antigen Testing available for businesses with 100+ employees, Medical providers, and ND Community organizations (schools, city, fire department etc.), Use of therapeutics has reduced hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19. Therapeutics help ease the symptoms and recover. Behavioral Health in Education Resources and Opportunities B-HERO program  

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