AITKIN — The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 Friday, April 17, in Aitkin County.
The individual is in their 20s, is currently not hospitalized and is self-isolating. Suspected exposure is close contact with a COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed case.
“At this point, there has been no request for Aitkin County to provide any essential services to this person,” stated Erin Melz, Aitkin County public health supervisor, in a news release. “The Minnesota Department of Health will conduct contact investigations and make recommendations regarding isolation or quarantine to those individuals based on their interviews. While we understand this will raise the concern level for those in our community, Riverwood Healthcare Center, area health care providers and county partners have been preparing for this for weeks. We are working to do everything we can to keep the residents of Aitkin County safe and healthy.”
For those experiencing respiratory illness symptoms or who have questions, call Riverwood Healthcare’s coronavirus helpline at 844-428-1323, available 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. A nurse will advise those with symptoms on how to proceed, which may include staying home and self-monitoring, a virtual visit, a phone visit or an in-person visit with a health care provider. All patients and visitors to Riverwood Healthcare Center are being screened with a separate entrance set up for those who may have COVID-19 or respiratory symptoms. Hospital visitors are restricted, and those who accompany patients to outpatient appointments are asked to wait in their cars to limit potential exposure to infectious disease for patients and health care workers.
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“We express our sincere concern for this patient, as well as for others who may be affected,” stated Dr. David Taylor, emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer at Riverwood Healthcare Center. “We support and appreciate the efforts of our local public health officials and our physicians and staff who are well prepared and have worked diligently to manage COVID-19 precautions and care for patients with this infectious disease.”
Aitkin County Public Health and Riverwood Healthcare will continue to stay in touch with MDH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as they monitor COVID-19, as well as keeping the community informed of the ongoing health situation.
For more information on COVID-19, visit health.state.mn.us , cdc.gov/COVID19 or riverwoodhealthcare.org/covid-19 .
