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Lake County officials are encouraging residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the county sees a modest increase in cases. After four straight weeks of either zero or one new case each week, four Lake County residents tested positive during the week ending July 20th and eight Lake County residents tested positive during the week ending July 27th. However, the number of new cases currently remains far below the peak late last fall, when the county saw 60-110 new cases each week for several weeks.
“This increase in COVID-19 cases is concerning, especially given the increasing prevalence of the highly contagious delta strain in the State of Minnesota,” according to Lisa Hanson, Director of Lake County Health and Human Services. “If you’ve been waiting to get vaccinated, now is the time. Vaccination is the best tool we have to reduce community transmission and continue on the path to normalcy. Nobody wants to even think about having to return to mask mandates, distance learning or stay at home orders, but we’ve previously seen how quickly our situation can change with this virus.”
Lake County has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention as having high community transmission under new guidance on mask wearing. CDC bases transmission rates on the seven-day rate of new infections and is recommending masks for vaccinated and unvaccinated people in public indoor settings in counties with rates of 50 infections per 100,000 people or higher. With a relatively small population, this number can fluctuate widely from week to week in Lake County. Just five new cases in a week will give Lake County the designation of having high community transmission.
Lake County Public Health will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases closely. In the meantime, the county continues to partner with Lake View Medical Clinic to offer the COVID-19 vaccination locally. Upcoming vaccine opportunities include:
August 11, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Lake View Medical Clinic, 325 11th Ave., Two Harbors (first dose of Pfizer, open to 12+, walk-ins welcome).
Visit www.co.lake. mn.us to see vaccination opportunities and local updates on the COVID-19 situation.
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