by Rich Larson
As the country continues to suffer from a deep Covid-19 pandemic fatigue, the statistical news last week showed just how 
persistent the Covid virus has become.
According to tracking data from Johns Hopkins University, more than 663,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 since March of 2020. At that point in time, the population of the United States was 330 million people. That means that 1 in 500 Americans has died from Covid 19 in the last 18 months.
Northfield Hospital + Clinics President and CEO Steve Underdahl said the Covid ward that was set up at Northfield Hospital continues to receive patients, months after the staff had hoped this would be over. He said last spring, after vaccines became available to everyone over the age of 12, it looked like things had turned the corner. There were several weeks, he said, where the hospital did not take in any Covid patients. The number of patients slowly began to pick up in late July, and now, he said, they once again have a steady number of Covid patients to care for. Consistent with national trends, he said they are seeing more people who are relatively younger getting sick. According to the Rice County Public Health website, the average age of someone with a new diagnosis is 39, and those people are getting sick quicker.
There are reasons for the prolonged presence of the pandemic, he said. One is that the Delta Variant has become the dominant strain of the virus. Virtually everyone in the United States who is getting sick from Covid right now has the Delta strain, which is 2-3 times more contagious than the previous forms of the virus, and it is faster acting. And he said, there is the continued idea among some that the vaccines are more dangerous than the virus.
Underdahl said the real hotspots around the country, and in Minnesota, are in areas that are hostile to masks and vaccines. He said, by and large, despite the occasional “breakthrough infections,” where a vaccinated person is contracting the virus, the vaccines have been largely effective against the Delta strain. It is the skepticism about the treatment and protocols that is now fueling the pandemic.
“I think the tragedy of all of this is this is becoming as much a pandemic of the unvaccinated and a cultural pandemic as it is a medical pandemic. We do have some solutions, and we have some percentage of our neighbors and brothers and sisters who just aren’t having it. And that is likely what is going to make this continue.”
After picking up again in August, the Minnesota department of health and Rice County Public Health websites show that the number of people getting vaccinated is down once again. Northfield Hospital + Clinics has readily available vaccines. To make an appointment call 507-646-8013 or visit northfieldhospital.org
School district looking for closer connection with students
One of the great worries about the pandemic is the long-term effect it will have on our young people.
With the new school year underway, Superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, Dr. Matt Hillmann, said the overall idea in the district’s preparation for the year is recovery. Not only did a lot of students fall behind last year due to distance learning and the general stressed caused by the pandemic, but he said, the schools all fell short of the goal they had laid out for themselves for the year.
Dealing with the unknowns of a pandemic, he said, led the district to be what he called “pollyannaish” about what could be achieved. But they have also looked at where the students are after two school years that have been disrupted by Covid-19 and a third that still has remaining protocols in place and are committed to reaching each individual student.
Hillmann said they have found the isolation of the pandemic was what was most problematic for the students last year. To that end, the middle school and high school have adopted very similar plans in how the staff intends to connect with students. Based on information collected from student surveys that are taken every year, the feeling is that students know that teachers care about them, collectively. However, that does not necessarily translate to each student individually. Dr. Hillmann said the goal this year is for teachers to make those individual connections.
“So, kids see that the teachers care. What they want is a more individual relationship. And we know that that is the gateway to learning. Our kids know that we care. They need to feel that as an individual human being from our staff.”
He said the plans are also geared toward students of color and traditionally minoritized students see those connections at the same rate. The key is that every student understands how highly prioritized they are by the district, and by extension the community, and that they are committed to help every student be the best person they can be.
Council to talk levy, budget and Kraewood
And the Northfield City Council will meet tomorrow night at 6:00 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. While there are only 
three items on the regular agenda, each one is significant and will garner quite a bit of attention.
The first item on the agenda is a resolution to adopt the preliminary tax levy for 2022. The preliminary number could be as high as 15.9%, and while that amount is expected to drop during the budget discussions over the next ten weeks, the final levy is expected to be higher than it has been in years past. The second item will lay out the timetable on the budget discussions and set a date to approve the final budget some time in December. And finally, the council will take up the discussion of a resolution approving the preliminary plot of the Kraewood Development, which is likely to see a heavy turnout for public comment, which is something the council, and the city, will always encourage.
Those wishing to address the council about the tax levy, the Kraewood development, or any other topic my do so during the public comment portions of the meeting. All City Councilors can be emailed directly from the City Website as well. Comments can also be taken through the eComment button, which can be found on the “Agendas” section of the city website.
Rich Larson is KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
