After weeks of avoiding an exponential jump in COVID-19 cases, North Dakota appears to have its first significant flare-up.

Gov. Doug Burgum announced Saturday that 110 people associated with a Grand Forks wind turbine manufacturing plant have tested positive for the illness in the last week. Sixty-six of the 90 new cases announced Saturday are tied to the outbreak at the LM Wind Power facility.

Of the positive tests among workers at the plant and their close contacts, 102 are North Dakota residents and eight live across the border in Minnesota, Burgum said. Only one person tied to the plant has been hospitalized so far.

A total of 426 tests were performed Thursday on workers and close contacts identified by health officials. The majority of the tests were administered by health officials in a drive-thru setting, and Burgum said officials are planning to do another round of mass testing in the state’s third largest city next week. The results of about 50 of the tests taken Thursday have not yet been shared publicly.

Burgum also announced an order Saturday from State Health Officer Mylynn Tufte that says all 880 employees of the plant must self-quarantine in their homes for 14 days or risk facing Class B misdemeanor charges. The order does not apply to family members or housemates of the workers, but Burgum strongly encouraged them not to leave their homes.

“If (LM workers and people with whom they’ve shared close contact) can stay out of the community, then we have an opportunity to slow down the spread (of the virus) and keep people safe, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions,” Burgum said.

GE, which owns the plant, will keep the facility closed for a minimum of two weeks and do a deep cleaning of all exposed surfaces, Burgum said. The company has committed to paying the workers during the 14-day closure, Burgum said.

Speaking over the phone at Burgum’s Saturday press conference, Grand Forks Mayor Michael Brown said officials expect to see more cases tied to the plant and noted that there will likely be “a prolonged battle” against the illness.

Dr. Steven Weiser, the president of Altru Health System, said Saturday he believes the city’s health care system will be capable of withstanding the surge in cases. If needed, Altru can ramp up hospital capacity to accommodate 292 patients in regular hospital beds and 33 patients in intensive-care beds, Weiser said. The health care company also has a stock of 88 ventilators, which are often needed to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in critical condition. Only about 5% of COVID-19 patients become critically ill, Weiser said.

Burgum noted that patients can be sent to nearby Fargo if Grand Forks’ hospitals are overwhelmed by the outbreak.

The 90 new COVID-19 cases announced by the state health department Saturday represent the largest single-day increase. It’s also the fourth consecutive day on which a new single-day high in cases has been set.

The total number of positive tests for the virus in North Dakota is up to 528, however 183 people have recovered and nine people have died from the illness. There are currently 13 residents hospitalized with the illness.

Sixteen of the new cases came from Cass County, which encompasses Fargo and West Fargo. The total number of cases in the county is now up to 197 — about 37% of the state’s total and nearly double the amount of any other county.

Two Fargo nursing homes have experienced an uptick in cases over the last week. Burgum said Friday outbreaks at long-term care facilities, like the ones at Eventide Fargo and Rosewood on Broadway, “keep (him) up at night” because people older than 65 are at a particularly high risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19.

Related Articles The COVID-19 vaccine got political this week. Here’s a look at the facts.

Sunday coronavirus update: 2 new MN deaths, 1,318 new cases, breaking 90,000 cases in state

Gap year: COVID has MN students taking time off before college

Coronavirus Saturday update: 934 new COVID-19 cases, 13 more deaths

Study suggests sufficient vitamin D levels can lower coronavirus risk The other six new cases Saturday came from Barnes, Burleigh and Williams counties.

A total of 12,963 tests for the virus have been reported by the state, and 31 counties now have at least one known case of the illness. However, Burgum has previously said that the cases are reported based on patients’ mailing addresses rather than their actual location in the state, so it is unknown where infected patients are quarantining or seeking medical help.