Good morning. While the winds should die down, temperatures are expected to plunge today. Expect to see 30s up north with 40s across most of Minnesota. Updraft Minnesota's infectious disease director described the current situation in Minnesota as an "escalating roller coaster," during a call with reporters Wednesday. And it doesn't look like we're getting off this ride any time soon.
Active caseloads remain at record highs, hospitalizations continue to climb and, for at least one day, death counts have jumped to a level not seen in months.
A small part of that increase can be attributed to the state now reporting results of antigen tests, a more rapid form of COVID-19 test. The agency said it made the move so its reporting would align with federal guidance.
Antigen testing wasn't widely used, so the change to previous case counts won’t be dramatic. Still, it added six people to the state’s death toll Wednesday on top of 23 newly reported deaths.
Here are Minnesota’s current COVID-19 statistics:
- 2,180 deaths
- 115,943 positive cases, 103,830 off isolation
- 2,383,527 tests, 1,613,231 people tested
- 5.2 percent seven-day positive test rate
Ahead of Floyd murder trial, a fight over transparency. After an attempt by one officer’s attorney to introduce body camera footage of Floyd being arrested last year, state prosecutors have requested that evidence filed in the case of four police officers charged in George Floyd's death be kept secret for days while attorneys argue whether they should permanently be kept from the public and journalists.
Media outlets, including MPR News, are tangling with the office of Attorney General Keith Ellison over the proposed restrictions. A judge will hear arguments Thursday on the matter.
When asked about important cases that could come to the court on health care and abortion issues, Barrett said neither Trump nor anyone else in the White House had tried to influence her views. Check our homepage for the latest on day four of the hearings.
~Sara Porter, MPR News | 
