Andrea Johnson/MDN National Guard members assist First District Health Unit with a mass testing for COVID-19 at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds June 3.

First District Health Unit has been providing hundreds of tests every week and urging residents to follow public health guidelines as it copes with a COVID-19 pandemic that has not eased since it began last spring.

Lisa Clute, executive director for First District, said the Minot office has been testing an average of 70 people a day. People with symptoms are encouraged to see their health providers, but asymptomatic individuals – who have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, plan to travel, visit a nursing home or just have a concern – can call First District at 852-1376 for what is typically a same or next-day appointment for testing.

Appointments are available between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. weekdays, with the exception of Wednesdays.

Clute said the Minot office is equipped to offer up to about 100 tests a day. It has not seen demand exceed supply at this point.

“We have more tests available through that static testing than we did in the mass testing. We just really felt like it was meeting the community’s needs better to do it this way,” Clute said.

The state now allots test kits to First District to use as best needed rather than apportioning available kits around the state based on requests for mass events.

“We really appreciate the local control,” Clute said. “That’s why we have opened up a static site in Minot and have been able to move more quickly out into the communities. We have been able to accommodate everybody who is wanting a test.”

First District continues to conduct mass testings in Kenmare in Ward County and in its other six counties as needed or requested. The intention is to offer testing to communities at least once every few weeks. Information about upcoming testing sites and dates can be found at fdhu.org or at First District Health Unit on Facebook.

First District also will be providing testing at Minot State University as part of the university’s protocol for resuming classes.

First District has been assisted by 12 National Guard members at its office and mass testings.

Clute said people who test positive get results more quickly than individuals with negative tests, who often wait two days or more for results. She said the state is working to increase capacity and decrease those turnaround times.

“The turnaround has been a frustrating thing for everybody. We are hoping that the state can build its capacity sooner than later,” she said.

The health unit continues to assist in contact tracing to identify people who have had close contact with an individual testing positive. First District participates in notifying people who test positive and identifying their close contacts, but the state has assumed the followup with those close contacts.

At one time, First District had 16 nurses engaged in contract tracing. With the state’s increased involvement, the health unit is managing its COVID-19 workload while maintaining its other services with the help of one additional administrative support staff and two contracted nurses.

First District established a task force with nurses and environmental health staff to provide schools with decision-making data and guidance on their restart plans. Much of the focus of the health unit recently has been on consulting with schools and reminding families about back-to-school immunizations.

“We do have appointments available for back-to-school immunizations, and we are really encouraging people to get those done now instead of waiting,” she said. “It’s very, very important that these kids are immunized prior to going back to school.”

Childhood immunizations and COVID-19 testing both are part of the health unit’s primary mission to prevent the spread of communicable disease, Clute said. Each requires public cooperation, but that is especially true with COVID-19.

“We can do a lot at First District and within private and public partnerships, but in the end, it boils down to the population taking responsibility to assist in stopping the spread. They really need to step up,” Clute said. “It is imperative that the community practice good social distancing, hand washing, wear your masks.

“The advice that we are giving the public is good, sound advice, based on science,” she added. “We need everybody to follow these recommendations.”