'Medium' COVID-19 Risk In Dakota County As Cases Climb In MN: CDC

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — Public health officials are urging residents in at least nine Minnesota counties to once again wear masks indoors due to a "high" levels of COVID-19 in those communities.

Seven counties in southeastern Minnesota — Rice, Dodge, Olmsted, Wabasha, Fillmore, Winona and Houston — and two in northern Minnesota — Roseau and Lake of the Woods counties — had a "high" COVID-19 levels Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's county-level data dashboard.

Residents in counties with "high" levels of COVID-19 should wear masks when in inside in public, stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they feel symptoms, the CDC said.

Those who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease should consider avoiding nonessential indoor activities in public spaces and develop a plan for rapid testing, according to the CDC.

Just 4.25 percent of all U.S. counties — 137 — had a "high" level of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the CDC's dashboard shows.

Dakota County is among 456 U.S. counties that had "medium" levels of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the CDC.

Residents in "medium" COVID-19 areas should get tested if they experience symptoms and stay up to date with their vaccines, the CDC said. Residents who are at high risk for severe illness should talk to their healthcare providers about whether they need to wear masks and take other precautions, according to the CDC.

The CDC moved Dakota County from "low" to "medium" May 12 after the county recorded more than 200 new cases per 100,000 people.

Public data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.
The state recorded its highest-ever seven-day average of new cases — almost 11,000 — on Jan. 12, public health statistics show. That measure fell to just 316 by mid-March and hovered in that range for almost a month before starting to climb.

Minnesota's seven-day average of new cases hit 1,711 on Tuesday, according to the Department of Health.

More than 91,000 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Dakota County since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and 777 residents have died, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

According to MDH's vaccine dashboard, 79.4 percent of residents ages 5 and older have completed their vaccine series.