Happy Monday, Minnesota! This week starts off on a chilly note, but will remain largely dry for most of Minnesota. Northwestern parts of the state may see some flurries this morning. Highs today range from single-digits in northwestern Minnesota to 20s in southeastern Minnesota. Get the latest on the Updraft. A year after the U.S. encountered its first case of a "mysterious" virus, we're taking a look inside Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 intensive care unit. Even after months of treating COVID-19 patients and delving into how the virus spreads and operates, health care professionals at Mayo say: There's is no silver bullet for this virus. "I think we had six deaths within 24 hours. That's like half the floor. It's just so difficult," says ICU nurse Kari Giersdorf. While COVID-19 fatality rates are falling across the state, doctors and nurses say it's not because we have a cure. Instead, it's been a matter of tailoring back-to-basics approaches to COVID-19 and helping patients' virus-ravaged bodies heal on their own. At 2 p.m. today, Gov. Tim Walz will lay out his next plan for Minnesota schools. The announcement comes a week after the state's youngest students were allowed to return to in-person classes regardless of COVID-19 case rates. Watch or listen to the governor's press conference this afternoon at MPRNews.org. Even as the state widens the vaccine rollout, only less than 5 percent of Minnesotans have received their first shots. Sunday’s update showed 247,415 Minnesotans have received at least one vaccine shot. More than 63,000 people have received both shots to complete their vaccination. Sunday marked the second consecutive day that the state reported more than 20,000 vaccine doses administered — the first time that’s happened. Meanwhile, the average numbers of deaths and new cases continue to drop. Over the weekend, state health officials reported 2,761 new cases and 63 deaths. Averaged over the past seven days, the number of new cases, hospital admissions and deaths reported each day continues to fall. The test positivity rate is down to 4.1 percent. Here are Minnesota’s latest COVID-19 statistics as of Sunday: - 6,095 deaths (32 new)
- 454,989 positive cases (1,196 new), 437,827 off isolation (96 percent)
- 6.4 million tests, 3.2 million people tested (about 56 percent of the population)
- 4.1 percent seven-day positive test rate (officials find 5 percent or more concerning)
- 4.5 percent of Minnesotans have at least one vaccine dose (as of Jan. 21)
Today, President Joe Biden will reinstate COVID-19 travel restrictions. The rule will affect non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the UK, South Africa and 26 other European countries, according to White House officials. Biden last week issued an order requiring international air travelers to quarantine upon arrival and all U.S.-bound passengers ages 2 and above get negative test results within 3 days before traveling. Tomorrow, Gov. Walz will release a $50 billion two-year budget, likely involving tax increases. Walz is framing his proposal as “Minnesota’s COVID-19 recovery budget” that will emphasize assistance to small businesses, help for working families affected by the pandemic, and measures to get students caught up after a year of mostly distance learning. Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter wouldn’t say if Walz will propose tax increases, but lawmakers in both parties expect it.
At 9 a.m. today, listen as Minnesota's top health officials answer your questions about COVID-19 vaccine. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann will join host Kerri Miller on MPR News to discuss the state’s initial vaccine rollout and when Minnesotans can expect vaccination rates to ramp up. Join the conversation by calling 651-227-6000 or 800-242-2828 during the live show.
🎧 Tune in to stay informed and connected. Here's what's coming up on MPR News today. — Jiwon Choi, MPR News MPRNews.org. | 
