83 of Minnesota's 87 counties now have high or substantial COVID-19 transmission
Just over three weeks ago, when federal health officials recommended everyone in COVID hotspots wear a mask while in public indoor spaces, just 14 Minnesota counties reached that face-covering threshold.
That number is now up to 83.
All but four of the state's 87 counties have what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers "substantial" or "high" transmission, according to Friday morning's data. Under CDC guidance, every person — whether vaccinated or not — should wear a face covering while in public, indoor spaces in these areas.
Related: The MN businesses, organizations and events that now require or recommend a face mask
What's more, the vast majority of these counties have the most severe "high" level of transmission. (That's the red in the map to the right.)
The continued increases in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and positivity rate have prompted many governmental units, businesses, schools and venues to reimplement mask mandates or add new vaccination requirements. On Friday, the state said it had recorded 1,708 new cases and 10 newly reported deaths, with a positivity rate of 5.57%.
The four Minnesota counties with only "moderate" transmission are: Big Stone, Kittson, Koochiching and Red Lake. Below you'll find lists of counties with high and substantial transmission, organized alphabetically.
High transmission (65 counties)
- Aitkin County
- Anoka County
- Beltrami County
- Benton County
- Blue Earth County
- Brown County
- Carlton County
- Carver County
- Cass County
- Chippewa County
- Chisago County
- Clearwater County
- Crow Wing County
- Dakota County
- Dodge County
- Douglas County
- Faribault County
- Fillmore County
- Freeborn County
- Goodhue County
- Grant County
- Hennepin County
- Houston County
- Hubbard County
- Isanti County
- Itasca County
- Jackson County
- Kandiyohi County
- Lac qui Parle County
- Le Sueur County
- Lyon County
- Marshall County
- Martin County
- McLeod County
- Meeker County
- Mille Lacs County
- Morrison County
- Mower County
- Murray County
- Nicollet County
- Nobles County
- Olmsted County
- Otter Tail County
- Pennington County
- Pine County
- Pope County
- Ramsey County
- Rice County
- Rock County
- Scott County
- Sherburne County
- Sibley County
- Stearns County
- Steele County
- Stevens County
- Swift County
- Todd County
- Wabasha County
- Wadena County
- Waseca County
- Washington County
- Watonwan County
- Winona County
- Wright County
- Yellow Medicine County
Substantial transmission (18 counties)
- Becker County
- Clay County
- Cook County
- Cottonwood County
- Kanabec County
- Lake County
- Lake of the Woods County
- Lincoln County
- Mahnomen County
- Norman County
- Pipestone County
- Polk County
- Redwood County
- Renville County
- Roseau County
- St. Louis County
- Traverse County
- Wilkin County