COVID-19 case count remains low as new school year set to begin

It’s back to school week in Cook County as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter many facets of life across Minnesota.
 
With a total of six confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, Cook County continues to have the lowest case count of any county in Minnesota. It is also the only county of all 87 in the state that has a single-digit case count.
 
Regarding the format for educational instruction, ISD 166 will start the year with a distant-learning model in place. Other schools in Tofte, Grand Portage and the charter school in Grand Marais will start the academic year with in-person instruction.
 
Staff with the Cook County Public Health and Human Services Department continue to work closely with school officials in the lead up to the start of the new school year. WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Public Health Supervisor Grace Grinager about the latest news on COVID-19 in Cook County and the upcoming school year. The audio below is their full conversation as it appeared live on WTIP (Sept. 7) on Labor Day.