As coronavirus cases fall in most parts of the country, they are on the rise in the Midwest, prompting alarm in places that had until now avoided the worst of the pandemic.
Our community is experiencing its first sustained, significant surge of illness since this terrible pandemic began, said Joe Parisi, the county executive in Dane County, Wis., which includes Madison. We will have some incredibly difficult and sad weeks ahead if we dont rally together now and stop this deeply disturbing trend.
Through Friday, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and Iowa had added more recent cases per capita than all other states.
Case numbers are not the only sign of trouble. Testing positivity rates, which measure the percent of positive findings among all people tested, are high across much of the Great Plains, a sign of uncontrolled spread and insufficient monitoring.
The rise of infection in the Midwest is different from what Brooklyn experienced in March or South Texas in July. So far, hospitalizations have not spiked. Morgues have not been overrun. Lockdowns have not been ordered.
Young adults, who often have milder cases of the virus, are helping to drive the current surge. Thousands of infections have been linked to Midwestern universities, some of which have struggled to enforce social distancing rules.read more
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