| July 10, 2020 Spotty showers, storms possible, but mostly pleasant weekend. There is a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms tomorrow, but it’ll be mostly dry across Minnesota Saturday. Temps this weekend are also cooling down, with highs in the 70s and 80s both Saturday and Sunday. Wednesday’s tornado was the strongest to hit Minnesota in almost 10 years. The tornado that killed one person and injured several others was rated as an EF-4, with peak winds estimated at 170 mph. It’s the first EF-4 tornado to hit Minnesota since August 2010. You may soon be able to visit your loved ones in nursing homes, as an “essential caregiver.” According to the new guidelines from the state Health Department, nursing home residents can designate an essential caregiver, who can visit inside the residence and have physical contact with them. Those visitors will be screened for any COVID-19 symptoms and are required to maintain social distance to others in the facility and wear a face mask. Facilities have until July 25 to prepare their programs, but can implement the program before then. How will your family be handling the new guidelines? COVID-19 in Minnesota today: Cases in the Twin Cities metro lead upward trend. The new daily case count Friday crossed the 600 mark, continuing the recent upward trend in new cases. The most dramatic recent increases are coming in the five suburban counties around the Twin Cities. For the first time, they now have about as many new cases per capita as Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Have you been looking for a bike to buy? You’re not alone. Whether it’s for exercise or for some fresh air, many people are considering biking outside during the pandemic. But as many supply chains from China are shut and demand goes up, it has become increasingly difficult to find not only a new bike to buy but also parts to tune up your old bike with.
--Jiwon Choi,MPR News | @ChoiGEE1 | 
