Cook County reports new case of COVID-19 as community concern grows

Another confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Cook County today (Oct. 27), bringing the total to 18 since the onset of the pandemic. There are at least ten active cases of COVID-19 in Cook County at this time.

The most recent case involves a local woman in her 40s, according to Cook County public health officials.

A recent uptick in local COVID-19 cases in Cook County, including among staff at the local hospital and Sawtooth mountain Clinic in Grand Marais, has some community members on high alert about the state of the pandemic locally.  

In a statement sent to WTIP Oct. 23, North Shore Health Hospital Administrator Kimber Wraalstad said the contacts the North Shore Health employee had with other people while in the facility are considered to be low risk exposures. A similar message was sent to WTIP from Sawtooth Mountain Clinic regarding their staff member who tested positive last week for the new coronarvirus.

Regardless, the uptick has local residents on edge as the days get shorter and colder. State health officials continue to warn Minnesotans that the coming weeks are a critical phase for the pandemic and what is to come this winter as the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Wraalstad about the current state of the pandemic in Cook County and some of the decisions being made by local healthcare officials after employees at both local healthcare facilities tested positive for the virus. The audio shared below is the conversation as it aired lived on the North Shore News Oct. 27.