Month: July 2020

Polk County Public Health has updated the current COVID-19 information in Polk County. Last week the state of Minnesota switched databases for Contact Investigation and Contact Tracing (CI/CT). Due to difficulties extracting data from the new database, Polk County Public Health did not release the COVID 19 weekly data on July 23, 2020.

There have been 28 new cases in Polk County since the last update from public health for 124 total cases. Three Polk County residents have died and 105 are out of isolation leaving 16 active cases.

Polk County Public Health’s COVID-19 hub available here. 

On Thursday, Governor Tim Walz announced Minnesota’s Stay Safe Learning Plan for 2020-2021.  The plan sets guidelines for local school districts in consultation with local public health, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Department of Education for when districts can provide the three different models for learning. The model is based on the number of cases per 10,000 residents in the county over the last 14 days. 

As of today, that number in Polk County is 6.01, an increase over earlier in July when it was 3.8 but would still allow for in-person schooling at Crookston Public Schools explains Superintendent Jeremy Olson. “Under the current guidance, under 10 per 10,000 in the county, you can have in-person instruction,” said Olson. “Right now, our number is 6.01. Two weeks ago, it was 3.8, so that’s a concern. Obviously, we want to see that number taper off. We’re going to keep monitoring that, and if we can keep our numbers under 10, we’ll be doing in-person instruction, which I think is going to be really good for our kids.”

Olson said the governor’s announcement of the plan made a lot of sense to him for having a ladder of options prioritizing the youngest learners based on the rate of new cases. “The governor’s announcement today makes a lot of sense to me,” said Olson. “I think that this plan has a lot of common sense built into it. One, it prioritizes face-to-face learning when safely possible. It also builds a ladder of options for us to use if we have high transmission rates. I also appreciated it prioritizes our youngest learners. The study they did shows 10 and under have very low transmission rates. The prioritization of elementary-age students makes sense. It allows us to provide that support for our families and the education for our kids throughout many of the models. Obviously, we need to have distance learning to have a safe option to educate kids if things go badly, but that’s not the best option.”

Olson also appreciated the local districts being able to work with public health to make the decisions locally. “I also appreciated the local control aspect of allowing our local district to work with public health to make decisions county-wide,” said Olson. “I also felt the plan allows us to advocate the importance of making good decisions within our communities. As I was listening to the governor, one of the things I was thinking is that we need to, as school leaders, be demonstrating good behavior, so that our communicated demonstrates good behavior. But also, communicating with our community that if we have a priority of opening our schools face-to-face, which I want to see happen, we need to take this seriously as a community. Wear our masks, follow social distancing, so we can keep our rates down, and have that in-person learning for our students. I think it’s a win-win.”

Parents of students in Crookston Public Schools will start getting communication in three phases for the upcoming school year this week. The final piece will be a registration to opt-in for in-person school (or hybrid if numbers dictate) or to select to have the student enrolled in distance learning, according to Olson. “I’m going to be drafting a letter I’m sending out that is coming out tonight or tomorrow morning saying here is what the governor decided and some basic information,” said Olson. “That’s going to be followed early next week with the plan for our response so parents understand in the different scenarios what it will look like. And then, there will be another communication that will come out that will be a basic registration.  We’ll be asking them to register either in-person or hybrid, whatever the current situation dictates in early September. And then we’ll ask that or distance learning. When parents opt for either option, it will also us to plan a little bit better, so we know what numbers we have in our distance learning platform, and what numbers we have in person.”

Olson also added that in-person schooling doesn’t mean normal, saying the district will have to implement several changes to its operation. “In-person does not mean back to normal,” said Olson. “I think I’ve said that many times. If we’re able to be in-person, there is going to be a lot of things that look and feel different about our schools. We’re going to be sending out information that is a self-screener that has the things to look for. We’re going to ask parents that if their kids have any of those signs not to send them to school. Our second one is either outside the entrance or when they get on the school bus. If we have someone who has a temperature, we’re going to isolate that student and get them home. In the classroom, we’re trying to social distance as much as we can. If in a classroom we can only get three or four feet of distance, that’s what we’re going to do. The other piece is how do we train students about what social distancing is. We’re going to do a visualization with things on the floor, and we’re going to have to space out lunch lines. We’ll have to add another lunchtime, and we’ll have to add some tables.”

Transportation will also be limited with a priority to rural students, explained Olson. “We’re going to have to limit our transportation,” said Olson. “We know in any scenario transportation is going to be limited. I don’t think it’s wise or prudent that just because you can put 50 kids on a bus doesn’t mean you should. We’re going to have to limit our numbers there. So, most likely, we’re going to have to rely on our parents to do more drop-offs. We’re going to prioritize our kids on rural routes and the students in the city that can’t get to school any other way. For the rest of the people we’ll be asking if you can transport your kid, please do so.”

For more with Superintendent Jeremy Olson on Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan, listen to Valley Talk July 31 at 10:40 a.m. on KROX.

Due to COVID-19, RiverView Health will offer two separate First Aid Training Classes with smaller class sizes for social distancing purposes. The same course will be offered on Thursday, Aug. 6 (class is full), and again on Friday, Aug. 7.

The program, developed by the American Heart Association, is open to the public. Participants will learn to provide first aid for acute injuries and sudden illnesses such as burns, bites, poisoning, and seizures.

Each four-hour class will be held from 6 to 10 pm at the RiverView Home Care building, 721 South Minnesota Street, Crookston.  The cost of the class, including the book and card, is $45. The American Heart Association is not responsible for any fees charged for the course.

The class is an American Heart Association (AHA) Community Training Center affiliated course. Contracted Community Training Centers (CTCs) and their affiliated sites are the only facilities permitted to offer AHA courses to the public and professionals through their affiliated instructors and programs.

To register or for more information on this class or other courses offered through the CTC, call 218-281-9405 or 1-800-743-6551, extension 9405.

Today, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, along with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), announced Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year.

School districts and charter schools will begin in one of three models: in-person, distance learning, or a hybrid model. Experts at the Departments of Health and Education will partner with local school districts and charter schools to help determine which learning model they should use to start the school year. The decision-making process centers on the health, safety, and wellbeing of our students, staff, and families by using the level of viral activity in the surrounding county and other factors such as the district’s ability to meet mitigation requirements. The learning model decision will be announced by the local school district.

“As a classroom teacher for more than 20 years and a parent of a child in public schools, I am committed to providing a world-class education to our students while keeping them and their teachers safe,” said Governor Walz. “With this approach, we are pairing the knowledge and data from our Departments of Health and Education with the expertise of our local school districts to make the best decisions for our students across the state.”

The Departments of Education and Health will work with school districts and local health professionals throughout the school year to help districts decide if and when they need to dial between learning models depending on the progression and cause of the virus in their specific community. When switching between learning models, the plan prioritizes keeping younger children in the classroom, understanding that transmission is less likely for younger children and that in-person learning is particularly critical at their developmental stage.

The Governor is also requiring school districts and charter schools to give families the option to choose distance learning for their student no matter which learning model their school district is implementing. Additionally, the Governor is requiring school districts to allow teachers and school employees to work remotely to the extent possible.

“We know that families, teachers, and students are juggling competing concerns as we approach ‘back to school’ this fall,” said Lt. Governor Flanagan. “While some are eager to be back in the classroom, others have very real concerns about health and safety. That’s why the Safe Learning Plan sets the guidelines for how safely a school can reopen, based on regional data and the expertise of public health leaders and local administrators, while still allowing families, teachers, and staff to make the decision to stay home.”

Governor Walz is investing over $430 million in federal funding to help schools, educators, students, and families through this uncertain time. Funding comes from the Governor’s Education Emergency Relief, Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief, and the Coronavirus Relief Fund. Walz provided $180 million through the summer to improve distance learning and fund summer learning programs. Today the Governor announced an additional $250 million of support that will:

• Provide face coverings for every student, educator, and staff member;
• Deploy a comprehensive COVID testing plan for educators and staff members;
• Help cover operational costs, like cleaning supplies, transportation, technology needs, and Wi-Fi access;
• Boost student, family, and educator support, like digital navigation trainings, tutors, translation services, mental health support, and professional development.

“The health and safety of our students, educators, school staff, and families are our number one priority,” said Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker. “This localized approach that is centered on the data and informed by a school’s ability to follow all the public health requirements, will help school districts and charter schools navigate this uncertain school year. MDE and MDH will be there supporting our schools every step of the way to help them make decisions that will prioritize the health and well-being of their school communities.”

The Governor has also prioritized family and community needs by mobilizing his state agencies to create strategies and flexibilities for child care and school-age care providers and protections for workers who will need to provide care for children during the school-day.

“We all recognize that COVID-19 is going to continue to impact our schools and our communities for months to come, but those impacts are varied and hard to predict,” said MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm. “It is important for the well-being of Minnesota children that we get this right, and that we have solid and flexible plans in place to adapt to the COVID-19 challenge. Under the leadership of Governor Walz and in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education and many stakeholders, we have developed an evidence-based plan that offers the right mix of support and flexibility for schools and communities around the state.”

On March 15, Governor Walz issued Executive Order 20-02, directing the Commissioner of Education to prepare to transition all Minnesota public schools to a distance learning model that continued for the rest of the 2019-20 school year. This June, Minnesota public schools started developing contingency plans for the 2020-21 school year, based on guidance from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and public health guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) which they will implement this fall.

Executive Order 20-82 will have the full force and effect of law upon the approval of the Executive Council, which is made up of Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, Attorney General Ellison, Secretary of State Simon, and State Auditor Blaha.

For more information on Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year, visit mn.gov/COVID19/safelearning or see guidance from the Minnesota Department of Education.

The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 745 new cases of COVID-19 and five deaths. This includes three new cases in both Polk and Red Lake County, four new cases in Pennington County, and one new case in both Pennington and Norman County. All the numbers are below –

Updated July 30, 2020
Updated daily at 11 a.m., with data current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. All data is preliminary and may change as cases are investigated. Many data points are collected during case interviews. Data presented below is for all cases, regardless of interview status. Data for cases pending interview may be listed as “unknown/missing.”

Not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this data is not representative of the total number of people in Minnesota who have or had COVID-19. Cumulative numbers are since Jan. 20, 2020.

Other Statistics

• Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children (MIS-C) Statistics
• Minnesota COVID-19 Public Dashboard
• Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response and Preparation Capacity
• CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases in the U.S.
• Minnesota COVID-19 Modeling

Data in the data tables is correct as of 11 a.m. daily. Dynamic images and maps for case demographics, likely exposure, residence, and residence type will update shortly after 11 a.m. daily and will not work if your browser is in compatibility mode.

The USDA Farmers-to-Families Food Box pick-up in Crookston is set for Saturday, August 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., or until supplies are gone. The pick-up location will be at the Crookston High School east parking lot. Those who drop by are asked to follow instructions while entering. Danelle Amiot of Polk County Social Services helped organize the event, and she hopes traffic will move through as smoothly as possible.

“We hope people enter from the east, and leave to the west,” Amiot said. “Don’t make a right turn and block traffic. Stay in your car. We’ll have people put everything in your trunk. We’ll have people directing traffic. We’ll try and keep things flowing as fast as we can.”

It’ll be a drive-thru pick up this year, and volunteers will distribute the boxes to the vehicles adhering to social distancing, according to Susie Novak, the Executive Director of the North Country Food Bank based in East Grand Forks.

“They will put the box right in your car,” Novak said. “There’s nothing to it. You pull up, you get the box put in your car and you leave.”

The protein box will be 11 pounds of frozen meat. There is no income guideline, and no paperwork required. Novak says the food boxes are a product of the CoronaVirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) set up by the USDA.

“These are actual USDA products that are being purchased from farmers and being packed into boxes,” Novak explained. “We have protein, dairy and produce boxes. They can range from 11-26 pounds per box. This program runs from July through December of this year. We’re using them as a supplemental distribution of food to communities across our entire region. There is no requirements to get this box. If you’re a person, you can stop by and get one of these boxes.”

The food box pick-up event was a collaborative effort by the Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Polk County Social Services and the North Country Food Bank, according to Novak.

“We hope to have a successful first run,” Novak said, “and then we can tweak it, and make it smoother going forward. The Food Bank used to be located (in Crookston), so we definitely wanted to do something in this community to make sure people have more access to food during this time.”