VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – There are five additional cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Barnes County. The individuals are a male in his 70s, a female and male in their 30s, a female in her 40s, and a male in his 80s. Their cases and sources of exposure remain under investigation by the North Dakota Department of Health. These newly confirmed cases bring the county total to 16, with eight considered active.

“We will not get by with lax observation of the rules this fall when we have hundreds of people moving here from places all over the country, almost all of which have higher COVID prevalence than Barnes County,” said Dr. James Buhr, Health Officer for City-County Health District. “This means masking indoors, even when you are six feet from the nearest person. It means carrying hand sanitizer in your pocket and using it when you touch something and washing your hands for 20 seconds whenever possible and when you get home. It means staying home if you feel ill. It means keeping track of all your contacts in case you or they become positive,” Buhr added.

City-County Health District (CCHD) reminds the public that certain people are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 including older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

For the most timely information and updates related to COVID-19 in North Dakota, visit the NDDoH website at www.healthy.nd.gov/coronavirus. Follow City-County Health District on Facebook for Barnes County updates or call 701-845-8518.