County Covid numbers continue to rise

Pine Knot News

Over the past 20 days, the number of Covid-19 cases in Carlton County has increased by 141, while the number of deaths due to Covid went up by one. The Cloquet zip code showed the largest increase in number of cases in the Aug. 19 report, with 22 new cases versus seven (in Moose Lake) or fewer in other parts of the county.

Over that same period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Covid Data Tracker, Carlton County went from “moderate” Covid transmission to “substantial” to “high” for the period

Aug. 18-24.

The CDC map shows more than 91 percent of the counties across the country in bright red, indicating high transmission rates, which means they’re seeing 100 or more new cases per 100,000 people over the previous seven days. For Carlton County — population 35,871, not 100,000 — the actual increase from Aug. 19 through Aug. 25 (the state’s date range) was 47. For comparison, Aug. 18-26 of last year saw the case count increase by 20.

Statewide, Minnesota reported a positive test rate of 5.9 percent as of Aug. 19, the most recent data available when the Pine Knot went to press. Carlton County was at 4.1 percent for that same period, and has been holding steady at that rate for eight weeks.

As of Aug. 25, Carlton County has 20,916 people with at least one vaccine dose and 19,520 with a completed vaccine series. Seventy percent of residents 16 and older have been vaccinated, and 93 percent of residents age 65-plus have been vaccinated. Getting vaccinated continues to be the best way to avoid getting Covid.

Wearing masks in indoor public spaces was previously recommended for only the unvaccinated. However, with the rapid growth in cases attributed to the Delta variant, the CDC now recommends even vaccinated people mask up to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent spreading it to others.

Symptoms

Although the Covid-19 Delta variant is more transmissible, the symptoms are largely the same, health officials said. Anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19 or who has been exposed to someone they think may have the disease is encouraged to seek testing, even if you’ve been vaccinated.

Symptoms of Covid-19 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after you are exposed.

Not everyone with Covid-19 has all of these symptoms, and some people may not have any symptoms. Talk to a health care provider if you have questions or concerns about symptoms.