B-B-E zip codes post a 54 (zip code list updated*)

Almost exactly to the day 14 months after the Belgrade, Brooten and Elrosa zip codes posted a 50 for new COVID-19 weekly case counts (November 26, 2020), the 56312, 56316 and 56325 zip codes have posted a 54 for new cases in the January 27, 2022 Minnesota Department of Health report. Across archive records from previous surges in the past two years, a one-week total greater than 50 could not be found.

What a difference 14 months makes, however, as we have widespread vaccination among senior citizens combined with widespread natural immunity across all age groups in B-B-E Jaguar Country. Another huge, huge difference is the variant of COVID-19 that is dominant today: omicron. This is a vastly different variant than the wild type SARS-COV2 virus that was circulating in the fall of 2020. The top three symptoms for omicron are: runny nose, headache, sneezing. Other symptoms less frequently reported are fatigue (mild or severe depending on your personal metabolic health) and a sore throat. Every report shown in the past 6 weeks suggests omicron is predominantly an upper respiratory tract pathogen, which is good news.

To the new numbers...

The case counts over the past three weeks in the 56312, 56316 and 56325 zip codes are as follows: January 06 was 9 cases, January 13 was 18 cases, January 20 was 27 cases and now January 27 has 54 cases on record.

The breakdown by zip code is as follows:

Belgrade 56312 - 33 new cases (17 new last week)

Brooten 56316 - 19 new cases (9 new last week)

Elrosa 56325 - 2 new cases (1 new last week)

Area zip code increases for January 27:

Willmar 56201 - 488 new cases (342 new last week)

Benson 56215 - 57 new cases (41 new last week)

Clara City 56222 - 26 new cases (13 new last week)

Hancock 56244 - 16 new cases (10 new last week)

Kandiyohi 56251 - 10 new cases (5 new last week)

Maynard 56260 - 9 new cases (4 new last week)

Morris 56267 - 127 new cases (81 new last week)

Murdock 56271 - 13 new cases (1 new case last week)

New London 56273 - 50 new cases (37 new last week)

Pennock 56279 - 26 new cases (17 new last week)

Raymond 56282 - 26 new cases (7 new last week)

Spicer 56288 - 57 new cases (24 new last week)

Sunburg 56289 - 3 new cases (5 new last week)

Alexandria 56308 - 365 new cases (243 new last week)

Glenwood 56334 - 92 new last week (33 new last week)

Lowry 56349 - 10 new last week (6 new last week)

Melrose 56352 - 85 new cases (69 new last week)

Osakis 56360 - 32 new cases (25 new last week)

Paynesville 56362 - 106 new cases (58 new last week)

Sauk Centre 56378 - 127 new cases (81 new last week)

Starbuck 56381 - 48 new cases (22 new last week)

Villard 56385 - 13 new cases (7 new last week).