Itasca County Healthcare Providers Encourage Wearing Face Masks in Public

Itasca County has 68 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths

ITASCA COUNTY, Minn. – Healthcare providers are encouraging everybody to wear face masks in public to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

According to Dr. Dan Soular, a primary care physician at Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital in Grand Rapids, masks allow air to flow through them and stop viruses from passing out of a person’s mouth and nose to the environment around them.

He also says there is no data that wearing masks reduces oxygen levels or increases carbon dioxide levels.

“We know that wearing masks help reduce the spread of coronavirus from infected person to those surrounding that infected person,” said Soular. “Estimates would say if we all wore masks when we were out in public, we would likely reduce transmission by 50 percent.”

According to county officials, 68 Itasca County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. 12 people have died of the virus there.

The county has also had at least five positive test results in people who live other places that have visited the area.