New COVID-19 case rate school data released. Is your county’s case rate up or down?

(St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Department of Health has released its weekly case rate report, which is the data schools use to determine which learning delivery method to use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 is the only county in the state with a case rate of 50 or more cases per 10,000 residents. Waseca Public Schools will shift to distance learning as a result, according to the Mankato Free Press.  The county’s case rate is currently 51, up from 38 the previous week.

Eight Minnesota counties have infection case rates of 30 to 49, including the counties of Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Lyon, Nobles, Sibley, and Watonwan.

There are six counties in the state with case rates of 20 to 29, including McLeod County.

Counties with case rates between 10 and 19 include Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood, Renville, and Rice.

Fillmore and Freeborn counties are among those with case rates of 10 or fewer cases per 10,000 residents.

Here are the counties with rising case rates (rates are cases per 10,000 residents & numbers are rounded up):

Blue Earth – 44 (22 previous week)
Brown – 11 (8 previous week)
Le Sueur – 45 (37 previous week)
Martin – 12 (6 previous week)
Nobles – 32 (26 previous week)
Redwood – 10 (5 previous week)
Sibley – 32 (25 previous week)
Steele – 17 (13 previous week)
Waseca – 51 (38 previous week)
Watonwan – 45 (18 previous week)

The COVID-19 case rates dropped in these counties:

Cottonwood – 12 (16 previous week)
Faribault – 14 (15 last week)
Jackson – 11 (12 previous week)
McLeod – 25 (37 previous week)
Mower – 13 (14 previous week)
Murray – 14 (17 previous week)
Nicollet – 18 (20 previous week)

Case rates in Jackson County remained at nine, the same as the previous week.