DULUTH – More than 400 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in St. Louis County over the past two weeks, an increase the county's public health director attributes mostly to the return of Duluth's college students.
The state Health Department reported 10 virus-related deaths in the northeastern Minnesota county over the past week. Fewer residents reportedly died from COVID-19 during the months of July and August combined.
"Typically when you see cases increase in communities, even if it's within a young and healthy population, it generally then pervades into the more vulnerable population," said Amy Westbrook, St. Louis County's public health director.
A total of 1,480 cases have been reported in the county, 17% of them in the past week. St. Louis County, like others across Minnesota, has continued to see COVID-19 infections rise fastest among those aged 15-24.
Dr. Andrew Thompson, an infectious disease specialist at St. Luke's Regional Health Care System in Duluth, said he believes the opening of the University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Scholastica campuses likely played a role in that increase. But he also noted that a higher proportion of young adults may live with roommates or hold jobs they can't do from home.
"I think initially there was a lot of willingness to go to pretty significant measures to stop the spread of this virus," he said. "My sense is people have just got tired of it and are not distancing as they should be."
As of Sept. 17, 44 students had been tested through UMD's health services, and 12 tests were positive. Those tested off campus are not included in the university's weekly update.
The 10 county residents who most recently died from the virus were in their 70s or older. All but one woman lived in care facilities.