LITTLE FALLS — The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed a case of COVID-19 in Morrison County. The individual is a younger resident with no known travel history.
The Minnesota Department of Health informed the county of the confirmed case Saturday, April 18. Morrison County Public Health officials will not be releasing where in Morrison County the resident resides.
“The resident is currently isolated at home,” County Administrator Deb Gruber stated in a news release. “People identified positive will be asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days from their exposure date and should monitor for worsening symptoms.”
Morrison County Board Chair Mike LeMieur shared his support and concern for the affected individual and emphasized the importance of partnerships.
“Morrison County is fortunate to have strong public health and emergency preparedness teams working to keep our residents safe and healthy,” stated Gruber. “By working collaboratively with local, state, and national agencies, we’ll be better able to monitor and contain this outbreak. I know this is hard news and may cause some folks to become anxious. We will get through this and Morrison County will remain a great place to live.”
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Since the outbreak was first reported in December 2019, more than 2,164,111 cases and 146,198 deaths have been reported in countries around the world. That total includes more than 690,714 U.S. cases and 35,443 deaths as Saturday per the Centers of Disease Control.
In a majority of cases, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. Health officials recommend individuals and families make a plan in case someone gets sick. In addition to following social distancing recommendations, they also suggest following the same steps used for avoiding the flu:
Stay home and away from others if you are sick.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue.
Wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds with soap and water.
Avoid touching your face throughout the day.
Morrison County Public Health in partnership with Morrison County Emergency Management
continue to meet regularly in the activated Emergency Operation Center in response to COVID-19. The EOC continues to monitor the situation and provide public messaging as necessary.
Morrison County Public Health supports physical and emotional well-being during this time. The county encourages people to stay active outside during this time, provided they practice safe social distancing, eat well, take a break from the constant news buzz and spend time with your immediate family.
MDH has set up a public hotline that daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The hotline number is 651-201-3920. Any person can call this number with questions about COVID-19.
Visit www.cdc.gov and www.health.state.mn.us for more information about COVID-19.
