Richfield Exceeds 2,000 Cases Of Coronavirus

RICHFIELD, MN — Officials in Richfield are sounding the alarm as the city surpasses a grim coronavirus milestone. While it took more than six months for Richfield to see 1,000 positive cases of COVID-19, it only took about six weeks to reach 2,000 cases.

The city surpassed 2,000 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.

"Richfield is feeling the effects of this virus more proportionally than the other suburbs in the west metro," a city spokesperson told Patch.

COVID-19 cases in Richfield began to spike in October, with most days recording at least 30 new positive cases. Previously, Richfield rarely saw more than 10 cases recorded in a single day, officials said.

On Nov. 9, the city saw 59 new positive cases.

Officials say the city’s Latinx population has been hit the hardest by COVID-19, with 46 percent of all cases diagnoses in Richfield being in the Latinx community.

"It is heartbreaking that Richfield residents have been affected so adversely by this devastating virus," Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez said in a news release.

"Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not just spreading, it is getting worse. Being overly cautious in everything you do is not a bad thing as we watch the number of positive cases rise in Minnesota."

COVID-19 in Richfield

• 154 Richfield residents have been hospitalized because of COVID-19
  • 30 in the ICU
• 20 Richfield residents have died

"The data being collected by the State of Minnesota and the contact tracing being done by our public health officials is painting a pretty clear picture of how and when this virus is spreading," explained Richfield Community Health Services Administrator Jennifer Anderson.

"A lot of times, as the night wears on and alcohol is consumed at our bars and restaurants, people are becoming careless in terms of proper COVID-19 mitigation practices."

As a result of the spike:

• The Richfield Recreation Services Department will be canceling all in-person programming "until further notice" at Wood Lake Nature Center and the community center.
• Programming and activities at the Richfield Ice Arena are suspended until "at least" Dec. 18.
• Richfield Motor Vehicle and Passport Office has moved all services to drop box only
  • The office plans to unveil an online scheduling system going forward
• All other city hall services are now appointment only

"These are tough decisions, but we will always put the safety and health of our community and staff first," said Recreation Services Director Amy Markle.

"We are planning safe recreation alternatives that will continue to create community and engage our residents."