Tag: pandemic

All Minnesotans ages 18-35 should get tested for COVID-19, health officials say

Are you a Minnesotan between the ages of 18 and 35? If so, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has a message for you: Please get tested for COVID-19.

With new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths skyrocketing, Gov. Tim Walz rolled out new measures this week to reduce the spread of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that are specifically aimed at younger adults. Health officials say the virus is being disproportionately spread by 18- to 35-year-olds, many of whom may be asymptomatic and unaware they are infected and contagious. So they are encouraging all Minnesotans in that age group to get tested as soon as possible.

“If you’re young and asymptomatic, you can spread it to others,” said MDH assistant commissioner Dan Huff. “If you’re coming home from college or coming home for the holidays for Thanksgiving, get tested before you come home. Everyone should get tested before they come home to visit relatives.” Continue reading.

Wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting other people, the CDC says. It can help you — and might prevent lockdowns.

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NOTE: This article is provided free of charge for all to read by The Washington Post.

As part of a push for stronger messaging, the agency acknowledged masks work both as ‘source control and personal protection’

When the White House coronavirus task force first recommended mask-wearing April 3, officials emphasized that this was not about you. It was about others. Your mom, dad, other family members. Friends. The older woman who always smiles at you at the grocery store, the immunocompromised dad coaching your kid’s basketball team.

Now, a growing body of science suggests that by wearing a mask to prevent spreading the virus, you may be protecting yourself, too. It is further evidence that knowledge about masks, and their benefits, continues to evolve — much as does understanding of the pandemic more broadly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said for the first time, writing in a scientific bulletin posted to its website this week that “the benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and personal protection for the mask wearer.” Masks are neither completely selfless nor selfish — they help everyone. Continue reading.

DFL Statement on Senate GOP Concealing a COVID-19 Outbreak

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin issued the following statement on Minnesota Senate Republicans’ decision to conceal a COVID-19 outbreak from their DFL colleagues and the non-partisan staff at the Minnesota capitol:

“Minnesota Senate Republicans’ decision to cover up a COVID-19 outbreak within their ranks immediately before a special legislative session is a genuinely stunning failure of basic human decency that could land people in the hospital or worse. Paul Gazelka and Senate Republicans owe their DFL colleagues and the non-partisan staff at the Minnesota capitol an immediate explanation for why they decided to needlessly put people in harm’s way.

“If Paul Gazelka had a shred of decency left in him, he would apologize for allowing his caucus to potentially expose their colleagues to a lethal pandemic and take action to ensure something like this never happens again.”

Record 56 COVID-19 deaths reported Wednesday in Minnesota

Spike in Minn. could become norm unless new restrictions slow spread. 

A single-day record 56 COVID-19 deaths were reported Wednesday in Minnesota, one day after the state set new, earlier bar closing times and put caps on social gatherings to slow the spread of the infectious disease.

Minnesota has now seen a total of 2,754 deaths due to the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

The virus’ accelerating spread is reflected by the increase in the positivity rate of diagnostic testing from 5% a month ago to more than 12%. More than 194,000 infections have been verified through testing, including 4,900 reported Wednesday. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: November 13, 2020

As Hospitals Express Capacity Concerns, Governor Walz Announces New COVID-19 Restrictions

Since the beginning of this pandemic, the Walz-Flanagan Administration has followed the best data available to protect Minnesotans from the spread of COVID-19. That’s why this week Governor Walz announced targeted, science-based changes to get the spread of the virus under control so we can care for those who fall ill, get kids in the classroom, and keep businesses open.

The Walz-Flanagan Administration, with guidance from the White House, has spent countless hours analyzing testing results and contract tracing data to understand  by who, when, and where this virus is moving around our state.

They found that 18-35 year olds make up a disproportionate number of cases and that over 70% of outbreaks from the last 6 months have a direct link back to weddings, private social gatherings, and late nights at bars and restaurants. These events get riskier the later it gets.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: November 13, 2020”

Northern Minnesota on defense as virus rages unabated

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DULUTH – The pandemic has been winning battle after battle Up North lately as efforts to contain the virus fall short.

Duluth schools are going all-virtual after a hybrid start. Itasca County is giving up on contact tracing. Nearly half of all St. Louis County residents say they know someone who has COVID-19, and less than a dozen critical care hospital beds remain available in all of northeastern Minnesota.

On Sept. 8, the first day of school, St. Louis County had reported 1,040 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic’s onset. Eight new infections were recorded in the county that day. Continue reading.

New daily coronavirus cases in U.S. rise to 145,000, latest all-time high

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NOTE: This article is provided free of charge by The Washington Post.

In one week, new daily coronavirus cases in the United States went from 104,000 to more than 145,000 on Wednesday, the latest all-time high. Almost every metric is trending in the wrong direction as states add restrictions and health officials warn of a dangerous fall ahead.

The rise in infections comes with new highs in the number of deaths reported in a single day at 1,549, the highest since May 14. Tennessee, Alabama and Minnesota all reached new highs in the number of deaths reported in a single day. View the post and more information here.

What you need to know about Minnesota’s COVID-19 restrictions

The governor has implemented everything from mask mandates to caps on gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. 

Since March, Gov. Tim Walz has issued sweeping executive orders to slow the spread of coronavirus in the state, from business and school closures to a statewide mask mandate required in public indoor spaces and businesses in Minnesota. 

The governor has started to slowly ease restrictions on businesses, schools and Minnesotans’ movements during the public health crisis, but he’s not yet ordered a full reopening of the state. (This FAQ was updated Nov. 10.)

What does Walz’s order say?

The governor let his stay-at-home order — which went into effect on March 28 — expire on May 18. That original order directed Minnesotans to stay home except for essential needs and services or if they worked in critical sectors. 

Quarantined Minnesota health care workers feel pressure to return to work early

Health systems are pressuring staffs as new cases hit nearly 6,000

As COVID-19 cases in Minnesota continue to surge, some Minnesota hospitals and health care providers are asking employees with “higher-risk” exposure to the disease to return to work before their quarantines end.

The requests are forcing health care workers to choose between following the state guidance of quarantining for 14 days after virus exposure or going back to the job sooner than that. State officials say isolating for two weeks is highly recommended, but voluntary.

“The deck just seems stacked against us,” said Mary Turner, an intensive-care nurse at North Memorial Health Hospital and president of the Minnesota Nurses Association. Continue reading.

Walz calls for early bar closures, reduced group gatherings to curb COVID-19 spread

Restaurants, bars to bear brunt of state’s changes with earlier closing times. 

Responding Tuesday to the surging COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Tim Walz announced dial-back measures that close bars and restaurants at 10 p.m. and restrict the sizes of wedding and funeral receptions, as well as indoor and outdoor gatherings.

“We turned our dials [forward]; we are going to have to turn them back a bit today,” Walz said during an afternoon news conference.

The move comes as the growing pandemic is putting pressure on hospital bed capacity, with only 22 intensive care beds available in the metro area. Continue reading.