Vice President Mike Pence is self-isolating after an aide tested positive for COVID-19. The AP reports: "An administration official said Pence was voluntarily keeping his distance from other people in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 since his exposure but was following the advice of medical officials. ... Pence has been at home since returning to Washington from a day trip to Iowa on Friday and did not appear at President Trump's meeting with military leaders Saturday at the White House. Pence was informed of the aide's positive test shortly before departing for that trip."
Three people from the White House's coronavirus task force are doing the same. More from the AP: "Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation’s most secure buildings is immune from the virus."
Many states are easing restrictions and public health experts say that's not wise. Via NPR: "As of Friday, in Texas you can go to a tanning salon. In Indiana, houses of worship are being allowed to open with no cap on attendance. Meanwhile places like Pennsylvania are taking a more cautious approach, only starting to ease restrictions in some counties based on the number of COVID-19 cases. By Monday at least 31 states will have partially reopened after seven weeks of restrictions. The moves come as President Trump pushes for the country to get back to work — while many public health experts warn that it's too soon. 'The early lesson that was learned, really, we learned from the island of Hokkaido in Japan, where they did a really good job of controlling the initial phase of the outbreak,' said Bob Bednarczyk, assistant professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at the Rollins School of public Health at Emory University in Atlanta."
“Minnesotans are not faring as well with social distancing as they did at the start of the stay-at-home order, various data points show. It may be due to recent nicer weather, reopening of some businesses or people becoming weary of staying home, but state health officials are reminding people of the importance of keeping up social distancing." Mara H. Gottfried reports in the Pioneer Press, "A national scoreboard by a company called Unacast is giving Minnesota a D-minus for social distancing; it shows the state’s “grades” started higher but have been worsening as the stay-at-home order has been in effect.”
Minnesota nurses plan to march over PPE Kirsti Marohn reports for MPR News, “A union representing Minnesota nurses isplanning a march in St. Paul to demand more personal protective equipment, after a nurse at United Hospital was fired for violating policy by wearing hospital-issued scrubs. The Minnesota Nurses Association says its members will march from United Hospital to the state Capitol on May 20 to call for equipment, training and staffing to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses at United Hospital have reported they’ve been disciplined for wearing hospital-issued surgical scrubs instead of their own, because they are worried about carrying the virus home and infecting their families and loved ones.”
“Workers at Amazon’s warehouse in Eagan say they are terrified to report to work after six co-workers recently tested positive for COVID-19. They say the retail giant isn’t doing enough to protect them, and fear the disease will break out beyond the warehouse walls into their communities" Muhktar M. Ibrahim reports at Sahan Journal, "The company has been slow notifying employees when someone tests positive for the virus and has threatened ill workers with penalties if they call in sick.”
Meanwhile in St. Paul... from MPR News staff and the AP: The Minnesota House approved legislation Saturday that raises the age for residents to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. Meeting in a rare Saturday session — with many members joining by phone amid social distancing rules — the House passed several other bills including:
legislation setting new reporting requirements for drug companies, when prescription prices rise significantly. That bill now goes to the governor.
a bill to help low-income households with a one-time payment of $500 under the Minnesota Family Investment Program. That still must pass the Senate.
