Moorhead Area Public Schools COVID case numbers spike

MOORHEAD, Minn. (Valley News Live) - Moorhead Area Public Schools are making masks optional starting on Monday, but COVID case numbers within the district have gone up substantially.

Within roughly a two-week time frame, student COVID cases nearly tripled.

As of January 6th, there were 145 students that tested positive for COVID-19.

Compare that to the last COVID-related data released by the district on December 16th where there were a total of 45 student cases.

This brings the positivity rate to more than two percent of the student population.

Staff cases also nearly tripled in that same time frame.

As of December 16th, there were only 5 employees who were diagnosed with COVID, but as of January 6th, that number jumped to 22.

Valley News Live reached out to the district for more recent numbers but we have yet to hear back.

Compared to Fargo Public Schools, as of January 7th, there were 137 students and 43 staff members that tested positive for COVID.

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