Number of Minnesota counties with high or substantial COVID transmission hits 64
Transmission levels across Minnesota continue to skyrocket, with nearly three-quarters of the state's counties now considered hotspots.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that as of Aug. 5, 18 counties in Minnesota have what the agency considers "high" community transmission of COVID-19, the most severe ranking.
Meanwhile, 46 counties have "substantial" transmission.
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Nine days ago, when the CDC announced its updated face mask guidance, Minnesota had just four counties with high transmission and 10 with substantial transmission.
The figure has climbed quickly ever since, with 64 of the state's 87 counties now falling into one of those two categories.
The CDC recommends everyone in an area with high or substantial transmission should wear a mask in public indoor spaces, regardless of their vaccination status.
Related: Places in Minnesota now requiring or recommending face masks
Here is a list:
High transmission:
- Big Stone County
- Dodge County
- Fillmore County
- Freeborn County
- Houston County
- Jackson County
- Kandiyohi County
- Kittson County
- Meeker County
- Nobles County
- Rice County
- Rock County
- Sibley County
- Stearns County
- Traverse County
- Waseca County
- Wilkin County
- Winona County
Substantial transmission:
- Aitkin County
- Anoka County
- Beltrami County
- Benton County
- Blue Earth County
- Carlton County
- Carver County
- Cass County
- Chippewa County
- Chisago County
- Clearwater County
- Crow Wing County
- Dakota County
- Douglas County
- Faribault County
- Goodhue County
- Hennepin County
- Hubbard County
- Itasca County
- Lake County
- Lake of the Woods County
- Le Sueur County
- Lincoln County
- Lyon County
- Marshall County
- Martin County
- McLeod County
- Mille Lacs County
- Morrison County
- Mower County
- Murray County
- Olmsted County
- Pine County
- Pope County
- Ramsey County
- Redwood County
- Scott County
- Sherburne County
- St. Louis County
- Steele County
- Todd County
- Wabasha County
- Wadena County
- Washington County
- Watonwan County
- Wright County