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Rock County case numbers reach 75; schools watch rate of increase to make decision

By
Lori Sorenson

Rock County has had 75 confirmed coronavirus cases (as of Tuesday) since health experts began tracking in March.
It’s a modest number, considering neighboring counties are in the hundreds, but recent spikes are the more important trend to watch, given that schools decide in-person learning based on the rate of increase. (See the related story).
In-person learning is appropriate if there are fewer than nine new cases of the virus per 10,000 residents reported over the latest 14-day period.
Rock County has nearly 10,000 people, so the math is easy.
As of July 18, the 14-day COVID-19 case rate for Rock County was 18.06, up from 8.50 cases from the previous 14-day period.
The state’s official rate for July 19 through Aug. 1 was released Wednesday after press time, but Minnesota Department of Health data indicates Rock County had 33 new cases in that time (from 40 on July 18 to 73 on Aug. 1).
This would put in-person learning further out of reach for Luverne and H-BC districts if nine is the standard and Rock County’s rate of increase is more than 30.
The Star Herald will share the latest updates online and on Facebook as they’re released. See www.star-herald.com.
Also, a weekly update will appear on page 2 of the Star Herald print edition.

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