St. Louis County Fastest Growing for Coronavirus Cases

DULUTH (AP) -- St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota this week has added new coronavirus cases faster than any other county in the state.

Health officials say that of the 475 cases in St. Louis County as of Wednesday, more than half were confirmed in July. The virus has been detected throughout the state's largest county geographically, but about three-fourths of the cases came from Duluth.

St. Louis County has recorded 19 COVID-19 related deaths so far.

While nursing homes were hit hard by COVID-19 in the spring and early summer, now nearly one-third of those infected in the county are in their 20s.

The county's public health director Amy Westbrook says about 40% of those testing positive say they've attended restaurants or bars during the period they were likely exposed to the virus.