North Dakota reports record hospitalization, 15 more deaths

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota health officials said Saturday that hospitalizations due to complications from the coronavirus reached another new high.

The report showed that 240 people were being treated in medical facilities across the state, an increase of 20 since Thursday. There were 12 staffed intensive care beds and 158 staffed inpatient beds available in North Dakota, according to state data.

The increase in patients came on day when the state reported 15 additional deaths, lifting the total number of fatalities to 628 since the pandemic began. The death count is the 10th highest per capita in the country at about 82 deaths per 100,000 people, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

Health officials reported 1,615 new cases of COVID-19 across the state, for a total of 53,204 since the start of the pandemic.

There were 2,060 new cases per 100,000 people in North Dakota over the past two weeks, which ranks first in the country for new cases per capita, Johns Hopkins University researchers said.

The new numbers come two days after Gov. Doug Burgum continued his appeal for North Dakota residents to do their part to keep numbers down by wearing masks and social distancing.

On Saturday, hundreds attended a rally supporting President Trump. Masks were few at the rally and social distancing was near non-existent.

Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford also attended the rally but did not have a face covering, nor did his wife. Several North Dakota state legislators also were maskless, as was the entire all-Republican congressional delegation.