Well, this is a staggering statistic: One in four North Dakota residents knows someone who died of COVID-19, according to a new poll. Health officials there have reported fewer than 1,000 deaths, so the survey result shows how devastating that impact has been in such a sparsely populated and tight-knit state. The Bismarck Tribune says the poll commissioned by the North Dakota Newspaper Association also asked people about their views on mask-wearing and found that 60 percent favored a statewide mandate—which Gov. Doug Burgum put in place just a few weeks ago after resisting it for most of the pandemic.