A coronavirus surge has left North Dakota with just 16 empty ICU beds and fewer than 200 regular inpatient beds in the entire state. And medical experts tell The Forum that there is no end is sight for at least the next few weeks unless people start taking more precautions. The state recorded 116 deaths last month, and has already reported 67 this month. North Dakota has no mask mandate in place and the state has kept businesses and schools open even though its positivity rate is at 7 percent, above the World Health Organization’s benchmark of 5 percent.
