BISMARCK — North Dakota surpassed a grim COVID-19 milestone, Saturday, Dec. 5, as the state's Department of Health reported 18 new deaths associated with the virus, pushing the virus's death toll to 1,007.
Saturday's deaths came from across the state as Benson, Cass, Eddy, Kidder, LaMoure, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Pembina, Ramsey, Sioux, Stutsman, Traill and Ward counties all reported at least one death. The deceased, nine men and nine women, primarily ranged in age from their 70s to 90s, though one resident in his 40s, two in their 50s and one in her 60s were also among the deaths.
North Dakota reported single- or double-digit death figures each month since the pandemic reached the state before 123 deaths were reported in September. October's 295 reported deaths were subsequently surpassed by November's 411 deaths. Thus far, December has seen 30 deaths reported.
The state's senior population has borne the brunt of the pandemic, with 648 residents over the age of 80 reported to have died and another 188 deaths reported among those between 70 and 79. More than half of the state's deaths have been reported in long-term care facilities.
Still, deaths have run the gamut of age ranges as a 17-year old Parshall resident and two individuals between 20 and 29 have died from COVID-19.
843 of the state's deaths list COVID-19 as the primary cause, while the remaining 164 list it as a secondary cause or are pending death records. North Dakota's death rate for those who have become infected with the virus is 1.2%.
While the state's total number of deaths is a fraction of those in larger states such as Texas, California, Florida and New Jersey, the state's 130 COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 residents ranks seventh in the nation behind New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi and Rhode Island, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Saturday's report from the Department of Health listed a total of 558 new COVID-19 infections in the state from a total of 9,159 tests, marking a daily positivity rate of 6.7%.
Fargo's Cass County reported 113 new cases while Bismarck's Burleigh County added 74 new cases. Grand Forks County and Williston's Williams County totaled 53 and 51 new cases, respectively. Stark County reported 36 new cases and Ward County reported 35. Wahpeton's Richland County added 28 new cases. Jamestown's Stutsman County reported 20 new positives.
New cases number 15 or fewer in Adams, Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Bowman, Cavalier, Dickey, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Steele, Traill, Walsh and Wells counties.
Active cases numbered 5,021 Saturday, down 286 from a day prior, the state reported. Active cases fell for 11 consecutive days beginning in late November before reaching 4,866 on Dec. 1, a level not seen since the middle of October. The state's pandemic-high number of active cases was 10,031, reported Nov. 13.
Cass County currently leads the state with 1,071 active cases, down 22% from a week prior. Burleigh County's active cases dropped 38% from last Saturday's figure to 716.
Ward County tallied 451 active cases Saturday, a 40% decrease from last week, and Grand Forks County reported 429 active cases Saturday, a 31% drop-off from a week prior.
Seven other North Dakota counties totaled triple-digit active cases Saturday. Sioux County's 209 active cases per 10,000 residents topped the state.
Nationwide, the CDC has reported a total of 14,041,436 COVID-19 cases and 275,386 deaths from the virus as of Saturday morning.
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