House Party In Minnesota Creates 17 New COVID-19 Cases: Officials

OLMSTED COUNTY, MN — Seventeen people contracted coronavirus following a house party in southern Minnesota last month, health officials announced Friday. Olmsted County Public Health launched an investigating after a recent outbreak of COVID-19 they say stemmed from the gathering in mid-April.

People who attended the party then brought the virus to other households and workplaces, according to a news release.

"Without the work of our epidemiologists and the full and honest cooperation of all individuals involved, this situation could have been much worse," stated Graham Briggs, Olmsted County Public Health Services Director.

"On behalf of Public Health, and the community, we thank them for helping stop further spread of this virus in our community."

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The county health department released a statement saying the outbreak from the house party demonstrates the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and underscores the importance of social distancing:

"With Minnesota’s Stay At Home restrictions loosening on Monday, this is a reminder that we all need to practice good hand hygiene, avoid large gatherings, stay home when feeling ill, continue to physically distance ourselves when in public settings, and wear masks to protect others – this shows we care about our communities’ health and safety. "

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Gov. Tim Walz says the Stay Home order will not be extended. However, it will be replaced with a looser order called "Stay Safe MN."