Photo by Evan Frost | MPR News May 7, 2020 Minnesota is doubling its contact tracers this week, but it still won't be enough
Good morning. It's Thursday and here is what you need to know about the coronavirus in Minnesota today, plus a forecast first.
A tame day, but chillier at night. Twin Cities highs in the lower 60s with 10 to 15 mph winds and nighttime temps dipping down to the lower 30s. Statewide highs from 50 in the northwest to near 60 in the southeast. Nighttime lows from 20 to the lower 30s. More on Updraft. | Forecast
Last week, Minnesota had just 150 contact tracers. Those are the investigators who contact people confirmed with COVID-19 and trace their movements, alerting others who may have been in contact with the sick person.
The Health Department is more than doubling its number of contact tracers. It's adding 160 more this week, according to Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director.
Still, it's progress as the number of COVID-19 cases rise. The confirmed case count is being driven by a handful of counties in greater Minnesota where outbreaks have centered around meatpacking plants.
443 people remain hospitalized; 180 in intensive care
5,005 patients recovered
If you're celebrating the fishing opener this weekend, stay close to home. The Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers not to stay overnight, take with them all the supplies they need and only go as far as one take of gas will last — and that's for the trip to the lake and back home. The point of it all: protecting rural communities.
Minnesotans using food stamps will be able to shop for groceries online next month. The state has gotten federal approval to make the benefits available for online ordering from local stores. About 378,000 people have Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Minnesota; about 40 percent are children.
Who are the helpers in your life? Share a story of how someone has helped you or someone you know through this difficult time. They might even get a shout-out on MPR News. — Cody Nelson, MPR News | @codyleenelson
