5, 0, 0

The number 5 is our new COVID-19 number on what I'll call the "local local" front. That represents the new COVID-19 cases reported in the past week by the Minnesota Department of Health in the zip code areas of 56312, 56316 and 56325 (Belgrade, Brooten and Elrosa).

In four of the last five weeks, Brooten's been a zero, which is astoundingly great news.

Elrosa's been at zero since mid-December.

A few other area numbers (of increases)...by zip code:

Kerkhoven - 2

Sunburg - 1

Murdock - 0

New London - 5

Pennock - 1

Spicer - 3

Glenwood - 18

Starbuck - 7

Willmar - 30 (this is in a population of 23,000+)

Alexandria - 31 (this is in a population of almost 24,000)

Paynesville - 3

Sauk Centre - 19

Melrose - 6

Time to get on my massive to-do list for the day!

*Update: for reference, in the January 28, 2021 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice, the 56316 (Brooten) zip code had an increase of four new cases in the January 21 MDH report. That means, between January 14 and January 20, the local citizens of the Brooten rural/town population had four new COVID-19 cases that brought the cumulative total to 118.

Officially, according to the MDH, between January 20 and March 18 (eight weeks)...the Brooten community has had just five COVID-19 cases. Five. Five out of almost 1,500 people.

Five cases across the last EIGHT weeks.

That is something to be proud of.