COVID-19 Case Rates, Which Determine Learning Methods In MN Schools, have been updated

(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota schools use a 14-day case rate to determine which learning model will be utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the school year.

The Minnesota Department of Health updates the case rates weekly. Cases rates are determined by the number of infected people per 10,000 residents. Numbers released Thursday cover August 9 to August 22.

Case rates are up in Blue Earth County, from 19 to 22. Le Sueur County case rates took a leap, from 19 to 37, and Sibley County saw a jump up in its case rate, from nine to 27.

In Fillmore and Watonwan counties, case rates decreased slightly, while Nicollet County case rates remained the same.

Last week’s report indicated that there was one county with a case rate from 30 to 49. That number has increased by two. There are eight counties with case rates between 20 and 29. There are 29 counties in the 10 to 20 range case rate, and a majority of counties have a case rate of zero to nine.

Minnesota schools use the following guidelines to determine which learning delivery method will be used:

0-9 cases per 10,000 residents: In-person learning for all students
10-19 cases per 10,000 residents: In-person learning for elementary students; hybrid learning for secondary students
20-29 cases per 10,000 residents: Hybrid learning for all students
30-49 cases per 10,000 residents: Hybrid learning for elementary students; distance learning for secondary students
50+ cases per 10,000 residents: Distance learning for all students

Here are the case rates per 10,000 residents in Southern Minnesota, compared to the rates from the previous data (most recent data listed first; numbers are rounded up):

Blue Earth – 22/19
Brown – 8/6
Cottonwood – 16/11
Faribault – 15/11
Fillmore – 7/8
Freeborn – 9/6
Jackson – 12/14
Le Sueur – 37/19
Lyon – 7/6
McLeod – 37/31
Martin – 6/4
Mower – 14/12
Murray – 17/10
Nicollet – 20/20
Nobles – 26/22
Redwood – 9/5
Renville – 5/5
Rice – 17/11
Sibley – 25/9
Steele – 13/11
Waseca – 38/22
Watonwan – 19/25