B-B-E zip codes post an 18 (VIDEO)

The zip code areas of Belgrade, Brooten and Elrosa have posted the number 18 for new COVID-19 cases in the past week.

The report showed a strange phenomenon where the numbers climbed by a large proportion in the Belgrade 56312 zip code while falling by half in the Brooten 56316 zip code. For the second straight week, the village of Elrosa posted a one.

Here's the breakdown:

Belgrade 56312: 15 new cases (4 last week)

Brooten 56316: 2 new cases (4 last week)

Elrosa 56325: 1 new case (1 new last week)

In the Brooten zip code, which has about 1,500 people, the last four weeks have shown just 15 new COVID-19 cases dating back to the December 23 report: two in today's report, four in the January 6 report, one in the December 30 report and eight in the December 23 report. The fall Delta wave crashed before Christmas, and the omicron surge has shown no signs of appearing...yet.

Area COVID-19 zip code case increases for the period January 6 to January 12:

Willmar 56201: 253 new cases (39 new last week)

Benson 56215: 13 new cases (3 new last week)

Clara City 56222: 7 new cases (2 new last week)

Kandiyohi 56251: 8 new cases (zero new last week)

Kerkhoven 56252: 2 new cases (1 new last week)

Maynard 56260: 4 new cases (3 new last week)

Morris 56267: 98 new cases (36 new last week)

Murdock 56271: 1 new case (2 new last week)

New London 56273: 38 new cases (3 new last week)

Pennock 56279: 5 new cases (zero new last week)

Raymond 56282: 13 new cases (2 new last week)

Spicer 56288: 39 new cases (8 new last week)

Sunburg 56289: 3 new cases (2 new last week)

Alexandria 56308: 247 new cases (54 new last week)

Glenwood 56334: 28 new cases (22 new last week)

Lowry 56349: 7 new cases (4 new last week)

Melrose 56352: 73 new cases (2 new last week)

Osakis 56360: 32 new cases (11 new last week)

Paynesville 56362: 51 new cases (9 new last week)

Sauk Centre 56378: 87 new cases (5 new last week)

Starbuck 56381: 17 new cases (4 new last week)

Villard 56385: 6 new cases (5 new last week)

Fascinating to see the COVID-19 "spread" is almost identical between the Alexandria and Willmar zip codes. Both zip code areas have about 23,000 people, but the Willmar elementary schools don't force masks on their children.