BISMARCK, ND (AP) – The North Dakota Department of Health on Saturday reported an increase in COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations as officials deal with a temporary delay in vaccine transportation.
Health officials reported 85 new cases of coronavirus, which increased the state’s pandemic to 99,228. Two additional deaths were reported to bring the North Dakota pandemic to 1,437 deaths with 97,002 recoveries.
The death toll was at its highest point last November with 498 deaths. It decreased to 282 in December and 76 in January. So far in February, 11 people have lost their lives due to coronavirus.
Thirty-nine people are currently being admitted to the intensive care unit with COVID-19 and 8 in the hospital, according to the state’s online dashboard.
North Dakota did not receive expected vaccines on Tuesday or Thursday due to severe winter weather in other parts of the country, according to Paul Teeple, spokesman for the health department.
The shipments are expected to resume on Monday. This will include the doses that the state did not receive this week.
More than 400,000 North Dakotans have been tested for COVID-19, and more than 177,000 have received an initial dose of vaccine.
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