The latest local Covid-19 numbers; plus Rochester's risk of spread set at 'moderate'

After weeks of steady improvement in Olmsted County’s fight against the spread of Covid-19, Thursday’s daily report brought everything to a screeching halt: 39 new cases of the virus in Olmsted County, the largest reported single-day total so far. 

Public Health officials said it was unclear whether Thursday’s reported spike in cases was legitimate, or a result of delays in reporting from the Minnesota Department of Health. New daily reported cases over the past two weeks have hovered between ten and twenty, lowering the seven-day rolling average to just under 15 cases in the latest weekly report. 

Thursday’s reported positive test rate was 8.9 percent, almost three times the county’s cumulative average of 3.5 percent. Before Thursday, the previous record for new cases in a day was 36 — set in early July. 

Dialing Into Risk Levels

This week, both the city and county released new ‘dials’ to track the risk levels and underlying data related to the spread of the virus. The city released a ‘risk dial’ that will be updated every Friday, offering guidance and advice on how to stay safe, at home and in public. Currently, the dial says there is a ‘moderate’ risk of Covid-19 spread in Rochester.

"This dial provides us with an understanding of current COVID-19 risks," said Rochester Mayor Kim Norton. "It allows us to inform residents and visitors of the protective actions to take based on our understanding of local conditions. We ask all Rochester community members and businesses to use this as a guidepost.”

On the county’s Covid-19 dashboard, new color-coded dials have also appeared, tracking percentages of positive test rates and community exposure (no known contact with a positive case), plus rolling averages of new cases and hospitalizations. Currently, the dials teeter on the edge of yellow and orange categories.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.

Cover image: Rochester’s Covid-19 risk level / City of Rochester