BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota health officials on Tuesday reported 30 new deaths due to complications from the coronavirus, one day after Gov. Doug Burgum announced measures to try to ease stress on the state’s healthcare system.
It is the highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic and increased the total number of fatalities to 674. North Dakota’s death count per capita has been steadily rising in recent weeks and stood at 10th in the country in statistics compiled Monday by The COVID Tracking Project.
There have been 101 deaths in Cass County, 99 in Burleigh County, 83 in Ward County and 60 in Morton County. Ward confirmed nine deaths in the last day and Burleigh reported eight fatalities.
Burgum on Monday announced plans to help ease the crunch on hospitals and staff by allowing workers without symptoms to stay on the job, increasing the number of rapid test systems, canceling some elective surgeries and moving doctors and nurses to where they are needed most.
The state Health Department on Tuesday did not have updated hospitalization numbers, citing a software problem. There were eight staffed intensive care beds and 166 staffed inpatient beds available in North Dakota, according to state data compiled Tuesday.
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