St. Paul, MN - Over the last weekend, Dakota County closed the beach at Schulze Lake in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan due to health concerns over a Norovirus outbreak.
The Minnesota Department of Health’s Division of Infectious Disease, Epidemiology, Prevention and Control (IDEPC) is comprised of four public workers; three being epidemiologists, who quickly detected Norovirus after coordination with Dakota County and everyone from the public who utilized the 24/7 hotline and email to help expedite the tracking of the virus.
State legislators who represent Dakota County issued the following statement:
“Minnesotans deserve an efficient and responsive state government and value for their tax dollars. The Norovirus outbreak was contained quickly to protect public health. Thanks to the Minnesota Department of Health’s IDEPC division’s efforts, they were able to minimize the time the beach was closed for our area’s communities, and after a thorough investigation, were able to work with Dakota County to reopen as the school year came to a close.
“Minnesota was the first state in the country to successfully implement and execute our Unemployment Insurance online portal during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also led the nation with vaccine rollout and distribution. A responsible government invests in solutions to expeditiously meet the needs of our residents and families.”
As a result of investments these legislators made this year at the Legislature in the Legacy budget, MDH will receive funding to create a statewide, one-stop-shop online beach portal based on local government partner monitoring. This will provide the public with information on the safety of swimming at beaches across the state.
The state legislators representing Dakota County who issued this statement include: State Representative John Huot (DFL-Rosemount), Mary Frances Clardy (DFL-Inver Grove Heights), Robert Bierman (DFL-Apple Valley), Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), Liz Reyer (DFL-Eagan), Rick Hansen (DFL-South Saint Paul), and State Senator Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley).
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