The zip code areas of Belgrade, Brooten and Elrosa have posted the number 18 for new COVID-19 cases in the past week.
The report showed a strange phenomenon where the numbers climbed by a large proportion in the Belgrade 56312 zip code while falling by half in the Brooten 56316 zip code. For the second straight week, the village of Elrosa posted a one.
Here's the breakdown:
Belgrade 56312: 15 new cases (4 last week)
Brooten 56316: 2 new cases (4 last week)
Elrosa 56325: 1 new case (1 new last week)
Most weeks in the past 22 months of my life have surprised me in one way or another. This week is no different. Maybe "Omicron" has gotten to Belgrade but hasn't worked its way over to Brooten? It's only six-and-a-half miles. Maybe omicron is leery of the Skunk Creek? I point this out because it's worth noting that omicron is less dangerous than delta. All the data you find out there says that. Locally, if people are still getting sick with delta, that is much more serious. If our COVID-19 numbers aren't skyrocketing, it's a sign that omicron isn't here yet. Numbers have been skyrocketing in the Metro Area for the past two weeks, but that's not the case out here (yet).
This is just flabbergasting: this is from the nearby Alexandria school district and comes from trucker Robert Nieland of Garfield. At the elementary school in Garfield, which is part of the Alexandria school district, the school has a basket where kids throw their facemasks when they eat lunch. Once lunch is over, they go back to that basket to locate and grab their masks. Let that sink in for a moment.
MEANWHILE, the Alexandria school board has voted to close any public comment period at their board meeting. This means a well-meaning parent can't go to a board meeting and address them in person.
How many ways can you spell coward?
Back to the issue that's dominating our lives and we just can't get away from in our schools...
Area COVID-19 zip code case increases for the period January 6 to January 12:
Willmar 56201: 253 new cases (39 new last week)
Benson 56215: 13 new cases (3 new last week)
Clara City 56222: 7 new cases (2 new last week)
Kandiyohi 56251: 8 new cases (zero new last week)
Kerkhoven 56252: 2 new cases (1 new last week)
Maynard 56260: 4 new cases (3 new last week)
Morris 56267: 98 new cases (36 new last week)
Murdock 56271: 1 new case (2 new last week)
New London 56273: 38 new cases (3 new last week)
Pennock 56279: 5 new cases (zero new last week)
Raymond 56282: 13 new cases (2 new last week)
Spicer 56288: 39 new cases (8 new last week)
Sunburg 56289: 3 new cases (2 new last week)
Alexandria 56308: 247 new cases (54 new last week)
Glenwood 56334: 28 new cases (22 new last week)
Lowry 56349: 7 new cases (4 new last week)
Melrose 56352: 73 new cases (2 new last week)
Osakis 56360: 32 new cases (11 new last week)
Paynesville 56362: 51 new cases (9 new last week)
Sauk Centre 56378: 87 new cases (5 new last week)
Starbuck 56378: 17 new cases (4 new last week)
Villard 56385: 6 new cases (5 new last week)
Fascinating to see the COVID-19 "spread" is almost identical between the Alexandria and Willmar zip codes. Both zip code areas have about 23,000 people, but the Willmar elementary schools don't force masks on their children. Look at the COVID-19 figures for those two zip codes, and let that sink in.
In other news: BRAVO to the Osakis school board, as they tabled the "jab-or-mask" mandate pushed down from Walz and his state machinery. In their meeting on Monday this week (January 10), board members discussed the "jab-or-mask" mandate for school employees and decided to table it instead of moving forward on it. The superintendent and board members raised many concerns about the policy. I am always fascinated to learn about people in power (even lowly school board members) standing up to the bigger wheels in the machine of government. You can read more about this at the Echo Press newspaper website (short link): https://bit.ly/3Kknag2.