Good morning and welcome to a new week. Here's your first COVID-19 briefing and a quick forecast.
A sunny start to the week. Twin Cities highs in the mid-50s with 10 to 15 mph winds. Statewide, highs from the mid-40s to mid-50s. Down to the 20s in some spots at night. More on Updraft. | Forecast
Minnesota has still not reached the governor's goal of 5,000 COVID-19 tests a day. But, apparently, it's not due to a shortage of supplies this time. "Testing’s available, and providers are telling us that people aren’t coming in . So people aren’t availing themselves of the testing capacity that’s there," Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Friday. "And we need to do better. We need to do more outreach to make sure people know they can and should be getting tested if they have symptoms." The state hascapacity to run 10,000 tests a day. And Gov. Tim Walz says 5,000 tests a day is critical to begin reopening the economy. On Sunday, health officials reported 4,825 new tests.
Here are the latest coronavirus statistics: 11,271 confirmed cases via 111,088 tests 578 deaths1,657 cases requiring hospitalization434 remain hospitalized; 199 in intensive care6,882 patients recoveredNurses say they don't have adequate personal protective equipment. And on May 20, they're planning a march from United Hospital to the State Capitol to call for more equipment, training and staffing to do their jobs amid the coronavirus. United Hospital nurses say they've been disciplined for wearing hospital-issued scrubs rather than their own, a move they made because they worried about bringing COVID-19 home with them and infecting their families and loved ones.
Amazon workers say they're terrified to go to work now that there are several COVID-19 cases at a warehouse in Eagan. “We are all at risk,” one worker at the facility told Sahan Journal, as employees say Amazon isn't doing enough to protect them.
In South Korea, there's a new spike in coronavirus cases. And, after the virus began to subside, the many of the new cases have been linked to the reopening of nightclubs and bars.
As we brace for more alone time, there are some strategies to help with the quarantine fatigue. Among them: express yourself and reach out to the elderly. For more, check out this list.
— Cody Nelson, MPR News | @codyleenelson | 