Active cases in North Dakota also reached a record high Sunday, with 677 residents currently positive for the sickness. The mark surpassed the previous pandemic-high of 670 on Thursday, May 21, which experts said was the virus's first-wave peak in the state. Active cases have more than doubled in the past 27 days.

Roughly 2% of tests reported Sunday came back positive. The state's overall positivity rate is 3.67%. The state has conducted 228,535 tests, though more than half of those have been administered to people who had been previously tested.

Both Cass County and Burleigh County each added 21 new cases of the virus. Grand Forks County reported 16 new cases. Morton and Stark counties each recorded five new cases, while Williams County tallied four new cases. Benson, Cavalier, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, Mountrail, Ramsey, Renville, Sargent, Sioux, Traill, Walsh and Ward counties all added three or fewer new cases.

The state did not report any new deaths from the illness, leaving the total number of deaths at 87. Seventy-four deaths list COVID-19 as the primary cause of death, while 13 others list it as a secondary cause or are awaiting death records. The department also reported four deaths of individuals who are presumed to have been COVID-19 positive.

Cass County has reported 72 deaths from the illness. Grand Forks County is the next closest in deaths with four.

Contributing to the rise in active cases is a steady increase in testing, according to Renae Moch, director of Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health. Last week, the state reported consecutive days of more than 5,500 tests, marking a sharp increase in public testing.

Burleigh County is home to 190 of the state's active cases, the most in North Dakota. Active cases in the capital area have more than doubled since the beginning of the month, drawing the attention of Gov. Doug Burgum, who said the state is closely monitoring the area's outbreak.

Active cases in Cass County number 139, while Grand Forks County reported 55 active cases.

Sixty-three deaths have been reported in nursing homes. Villa Maria, a skilled-care facility in Fargo, leads the state in active cases with five among residents and three among staff.

Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported 3,173,212 cases of COVID-19 and 133,666 deaths.

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North Dakota reports 92 new cases of COVID-19 as active cases reach record high - Grand Forks Herald