BISMARCK — COVID-19 has claimed another life in North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum said at a news conference Friday, April 10 at the state capitol.
A woman in her 70s with underlying health issues died due to the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, bringing the number of people who have died in the state to seven.
No further details were given, pending notification of the family.
On Thursday, a Stark County man died from the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.
Earlier in the day, the North Dakota Department of Health confirmed an additional nine people tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 278 positive cases in the state; 105 have recovered from the respiratory illness.
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Among the state’s cases include a boy between the ages of 0-9 in Burleigh County, the cause is under investigation. Burleigh County, which is home to the state’s capital of Bismarck, now has 48 cases.
Cases in Cass County, the state’s most populated county, also saw an increase in cases Friday, bringing the total to 88.
Sargent County, located in far southeastern North Dakota, reported its first case, a man in his 30s who contracted it via travel, according to the health department.
In an executive order, Burgum clarified the difference between isolation and quarantine and expanded clarifications on the rule for essential workers.
Isolation is when a person with symptoms separates themselves from others; quarantine is isolation for a period of time after that person has been exposed to the disease through close contact with someone else.
Additional information can be found on the health department’s website.
Giving a nod to the important role that religion plays for many people in the state, Burgum opened the news conference by inviting a serviceman to offer a prayer. Afterward, the governor said at the same time that North Dakotans practice spiritual health, “we can still practice physical health.”
He also thanked residents in advance who normally gather with extended family and friends during the holiday for refraining from doing so this weekend.
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“It’s a time of deep connection,” he said. “But know that your sacrifice by not being together may in fact save the lives of loved ones.”
In Minnesota, 1,336 people have tested positive for COVID-19. As of Friday morning, 732 people no longer required isolation. There have been 57 deaths reported in Minnesota.
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