Dear Neighbors,
I’m pleased to share major news from the Capitol that Minnesota has made a breakthrough that will allow us to lead the nation, and potentially the world, in testing for COVID-19. This milestone is the result of teamwork and collaboration between the Legislature, Governor Walz, private sector leaders like the Mayo Clinic, public research institutions like the University of Minnesota, and the people of Minnesota.
We’ve now launched a statewide testing strategy to test all symptomatic people, isolate confirmed cases, and expand public health surveillance tools. By building capacity to test as many as 20,000 Minnesotans per day, this increased testing and tracing will help improve control of this pandemic and support the safe re-opening of society.
You can watch a video replay of the announcement on the Governor’s YouTube channel. Click here to read coverage from the Star Tribune.
I’ll be in touch with another update soon about Minnesota’s strategy to re-open society in a way that is safe and prevents the loss of life, while providing a safety net for workers, businesses, and families.
Thank you for everything you are doing and the sacrifices you are making to care for each other during this unprecedented public health crisis.
Sincerely,
Andrew Carlson
State Representative