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Ramsey County, in cooperation with the State of Minnesota, continues to monitor the spread and impacts of COVID-19 on our communities. Recently we passed a concerning milestone, where more than 5% of tests administered over a 14-day period came back positive. Higher rates of virus transmission in the community increase risk for all residents of our county, including residents and staff in long-term care facilities. At a certain level of community spread, even aggressive actions to limit spread in these facilities will be of limited effectiveness.
Data shows that one in four long-term care residents who develop COVID-19 will be hospitalized, and one in five will die from the disease. In addition, community and workplace-related exposure and infection of staff can lead to staffing shortages, jeopardizing care for all residents.
Although long-term care facilities have made great efforts to keep their residents and staff safe, the good work that has taken place in these settings cannot completely protect facilities and residents from the high rate of viral transmission in the communities surrounding them. All too often, the virus enters a facility from staff who have been exposed through their interactions in the community, often through contact with someone who is infected but may have mild or no symptoms and be unaware that they have COVID. As the number of cases in the community continues to increase, it is increasingly likely that these hard-won safeguards of our most vulnerable Minnesotans will be overwhelmed. The consequences of this can be grave.
If our county’s 14-day percent positivity rate becomes greater than 10%, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living settings will no longer be able to allow visitors beyond Essential Caregivers and compassionate care. This will increase isolation for LTC residents, which presents risks for their physical and mental well-being. To avoid this unfortunate development, we all need to pull together.
The good news is that we can all help to reduce community spread and keep residents of our communities safe. All it takes is:
- Wear a mask in public and whenever you come into close contact with people not in your immediate circle.
- Abide by state-mandated restrictions on gatherings. The more people in a place, the greater likelihood that someone has COVID and may spread it to other attendees.
- Limit or avoid completely time spent in the riskiest settings, especially indoors in poorly-ventilated spaces. This includes bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and other indoor gathering spaces.
- Stay home as much as possible, especially if you are at greatest risk for severe disease. Even if you are not, limiting contact with loved ones at severe risk is the most effective way to ensure you don't accidentally pass the virus to them.
We can defeat this virus, but it requires that we all come together and play our part. Ramsey County stands ready to assist you in finding ways to meet your basic needs while keeping others safe.
Ramsey County continues to provide information and updates via our website at https://www.ramseycounty.us/coronavirus. Additional resources and information can be found at:
Other hotlines and help
Ramsey County’s Customer Contact Center is available from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday at 651-266-8500 as a one-stop option for directing and resolving questions.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's office has set up a COVID "Help Team"
Contact 651-448-3874 (voice and text) or HelpTeam@co.ramsey.mn.us.
- Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- Sat-Sun 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
If you have specific questions, reach out to one of the statewide hotlines set up to respond:
School and child care questions
As of March 17th the County Board Office at the Ramsey County Courthouse is closed to the public, and all staff are working remotely whenever possible. My office and I will continue to be available for meetings or to assist you with any questions or problems you have.
My office phone number (651-266-8360) still works, and will go directly to my cell phone. To schedule phone or video meetings, please contact my Administrative Secretary Kim Burback at Kim.Burback@co.ramsey.mn.us. For assistance with county programs or information, contact my Assistant Ethan Osten at Ethan.Osten@co.ramsey.mn.us or by phone at 651-266-8378.
If there are resources that you would like us to share in future updates, please contact Ethan Osten. |
