Olmsted County's COVID-19 Journey Began 2 Years Ago Friday

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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - Olmsted County will mark a COVID-19 milestone Friday.

It was March 11, 2020, when the county's first case was confirmed. It came just a few days after the state had reported its first case.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 40,000 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Olmsted County as of March 7, 2022. The county’s death total has risen to 171.

Statewide numbers show more than 1.4-million positive cases involving 1.3-million people have been confirmed. The state’s death total has gone over 12,000.

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MDH

Like other states, Minnesota has experienced pandemic-related waves. The most recent was a surge in cases linked to the omicron variant. Many experts are now predicting a transition from pandemic to epidemic.

Here is a look back at the early days of the pandemic that we first posted to mark the first anniversary

Major Milestones From Beginning of COVID-19 Pandemic in Olmsted County, Minnesota

News and information about the virus were slowly making their way through Minnesota and the Rochester area during late February 2020. Mayo Clinic became aware of the virus in January because of a partnership it had with a Chinese firm. This gave Mayo a head start in developing its own test for the virus which it knew would be needed for its patients.

Scroll through the gallery to see the significant milestones from the first two months of the pandemic in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

Answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?

Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.