Coronavirus in rural America (Part XCVI): An update on how the pandemic is ravaging rural places where people aren't taking it seriously

And, well, the places where rural people aren't taking the virus seriously are far flung, but I'm going to focus on two regions--the state of North Dakota and rural parts of northern California.

First, the New York Times ran this story about the state of North Dakota yesterday,  with Lucy Tompkins reporting from Bismarck.  An excerpt follows, one that touches on other states in the region where the virus is surging:  

The rise in cases and deaths — September was by far the deadliest month for North Dakota since the start of the pandemic — reflects a new phase of the virus in the United States. From Wisconsin to Montana, states in the Midwest and Great Plains, many of which had avoided large outbreaks in earlier months when coastal cities were hard hit, are seeing the brunt. And in rural portions of the states now reeling, medical resources are quickly stretched thin for residents who can live hours from large hospitals.

Still, partly because these outbreaks were slow in coming, public health officials say they have struggled to convince the public that the situation is urgent or that limits like mask rules make sense. North Dakota is one of fewer than 20 states with no statewide mask mandate and many counties have resisted restrictions. But as the state reaches a boiling point, health officials say they hope people now will start to take the virus more seriously.

Second, I want to highlight what is happening in some rural parts of California, where the virus is also surging.  I focus primarily on Shasta County, where many are flouting the Governor's health and safety mandates.  Read stories here and here, including one touching on a seminary/religious compound where cases are spiking.  

Also suffering are agricultural areas elsewhere in California, like Watsonville, in central California, as reported here in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.   

Lastly, here's a Los Angeles Times story out of Placer County, California, which is exurban to Sacramento, from which Hailey Branson-Potts reports on attitudes toward Trump's diagnosis with coronavirus.  She depicts the area as much more conservative--or more uniformly conservative Trump-country--than is my impression.  (I live about 45 minutes away, also in suburban/exurban areas east of Sacramento). Don't forget rural gentrification and proximity to Sacramento and all that.