MDH's latest COVID-19 data for schools report released

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(St. Paul, MN) – The weekly report on 14-day COVID-19 case rates by county has been updated by the Minnesota Department of Health.

A number of southern Minnesota counties have rising case rates, according to the data, which is used to determine which learning-delivery method students will use during the pandemic.

Case rates are determined by the number of cases per 10,000 residents during a specific two-week period. The most recent case rates cover Sept 6 through Sept 19.

Here are MDH’s recommended policy options based on a 14-day case rate range:

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

Waseca County, which was the sole county with a case rate of 50 or more cases last week, was one of four in the state under that threshold this week. The other counties are Big Stone, Lincoln, and Swift.

Last week, there were eight counties with case rates between 30 and 49. There are 12 this week, including Freeborn (31.12), Jackson (39.81), Lyon (30.19), Martin (40.57), Redwood (48.27), and Watonwan (47.39).

Sixteen counties have case rates between 20 and 29, compared to nine counties last week. Blue Earth County is one of those counties, with a case rate of 26.99, a decrease since the previous report’s case rate of 34.83. Also in this case rate range are Mower, Nobles, Renville, and Sibley counties.

There are 44 counties with case rates between 10 and 19, including Brown, Cottonwood, Le Sueur, McLeod, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, and Steele counties.

Eleven counties have case rates between 0 and 9. Fairbault is one of those counties, with a case rate of 8.64, unchanged from last week.

Here are the lastest case rates in Southern Minnesota counties (SMN rounds case rates per 10,000 people up to the nearest whole number):

Blue Earth – 27 (down from 35 last week)
Brown – 17 (up from 9 last week)
Cottonwood – 14 (up from 10 last week)
Faribault – 9 (unchanged)
Fillmore – 10 (up from 4 last week)
Freeborn – 31 (up from 21 last week)
Jackson – 40 (up from 17 last week)
Le Sueur – 13 (down from 17 last week)
Lyon – 30 (unchanged)
McLeod – 18 (up from 16 last week)
Martin – 41 – (up from 15 last week)
Mower – 24 (up from 17 last week)
Murray – 11 (up from 10 last week)
Nicollet – 15 (up from 11 last week)
Nobles – 20 (up from 18 last week)
Redwood – 48 (up from 17 last week)
Renville – 27 (up from 20 last week)
Rice – 12 (up from 10 last week)
Sibley – 25 (up fro 13 last week)
Steele – 15 (up from 17 last week)
Waseca – 93 (up from 85 last week)
Watonwan – 47 (up from 33 last week)