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COVID cases lowest in 15 months

BROWN COUNTY — In June, Brown County recorded five new COVID-19 cases, the lowest monthly increase since the start of the pandemic over 15 months ago.

Five cases is a significant drop from May 2021, which saw 61 new cases.

Some new cases of COVID may have gone unreported because the infected person did not seek a test, but Brown County Public Health Director Karen Moritz believes the number of unreported cases is low. Otherwise the county would see a higher rate of hospitalization.

“I believe this is the vaccinations at work,” Moritz said.

In Brown County, 64.28% of residents have completed a vaccine series. The overwhelming majority of senior citizens in the county have received the vaccine with 99% of those 65 and older getting vaccinated. Moritz said 74% of those 50 to 60 have received at least the first dose of the vaccine.

The number of COVID-19 cases are not the only decreases. Cases of influenza, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) dropped during the year of social distancing and mask wearing. Cases of norovirus did start to return as COVID regulations were relaxed, but those numbers are still relatively low. Moritz said the summer months typically see lower levels of flu and RSV.

With over half the county vaccinated, the number of COVID-19 cases are expected to remain low.

“We are hopeful,” Mortiz said. “This is very encouraging.”

Public Health is still encouraging people to get vaccinated. Anyone 12 and older can get the vaccine.

Moritz said there are many people 49 and younger who are not getting vaccinated. With COVID-19 cases so low, many feel it is not necessary to get vaccinated, but Moritz said the vaccine has not been approved for children under 12.

“Kids under 12 can’t get the vaccine so everyone around them needs to get it,” Moritz said.

There are other variants of the virus, like the delta variant, present in Minnesota. The pandemic is not over and could come back if too many decide to opt out of the vaccine.

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