North Dakota county has 68 COVID-19 cases after mass testing

North Dakota health officials on Saturday reported 68 new cases of the coronavirus in Grand Forks County, where mass testing was held after numerous positive tests among employees at a wind turbine plant.

The uptick in cases the LM Wind Power facility in Grand Forks led to the drive-thru screening of 424 people who were identified to have had close contact with some of the infected workers. A hospital administrator said Friday that about 2,500 people are at risk of the spread.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Grand Forks Mayor Michael R. Brown have scheduled a news conference Saturday afternoon to talk about the LM cases.

Dr. Steven Weiser, president of Altru Health System, said the outbreak at the plant could overwhelm the healthcare system.

“This is a big deal,” Weiser said.

State officials reported 22 other confirmed cases around the state, for a total of 90 in the last day. The state has tested about 13,000 people since the first test was confirmed in early March.

Nine people have died from COVID-19 in North Dakota, with none reported in the last day.

(Image Credit: AP)