Good morning and happy Saturday. Here's your forecast and all the latest on COVID-19 in Minnesota.
A warm start to the weekend. Some clouds, but Twin Cities highs in the lower 60s. Statewide, highs from near 60 in the South to mid-40s up north. More on Updraft. | Forecast
Many of you have been wondering about this, and we finally have an answer. Golfing and boating are now OK in Minnesota under the stay-at-home order after Gov. Tim Walz eased restrictions Friday.
However, people must practice social distancing while on the links or lakes — or anywhere else. "I will not sacrifice the health of Minnesotans and the gains we've made," Walz said. If you need a refresher, here's how to follow the guidelines outdoors.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues taking a toll on Minnesota. Here are the latest statistics: 2,071 cases via 43,053 tests 111 deaths 518 cases requiring hospitalization 233 people remain hospitalized; 106 in intensive care 1,066 patients recovered Photos: Walz's easing of some restrictions were not enough for some. A large crowd gathered outside the governor's mansion Friday. Protest organizers say Walz should reopen Minnesota and allege he "is using this entire situation to launch a full blown attack on the citizens of Minnesota, not to save lives, but to strip away and annihilate the freedoms that we enjoy!" “They’re not protesting me,” Walz said. “They’re protesting the idea that we have to protect these front-line workers.” The governor said that as a member of the National Guard, he has fought to preserve freedoms including the right to assemble and protest. But he said the Friday gathering puts people at risk of catching COVID-19, including the front-line health workers fighting the disease daily.
Take a deeper look at how Minnesota is responding to COVID-19 and the models informing decisions. There's been lots of discussion about models. MPR News reporter David Montgomery breaks them down here. The color of COVID-19. The COVID-19 mortality rate for black Americans is 2.8 times higher than the rate for Asians, three times higher than the rate for Latinos, and 3.6 times higher than the rate for white Americans, according to this data visualization by our friends at the APM Research Lab based on data from 27 states.
Looking for something to do at home this weekend? Yes, it's going to be nice. But stay-home orders mean staying indoors for many of us. Digital producer Matt Mikus has some suggestions. Stay healthy and stay safe.
— Cody Nelson, MPR News | @codyleenelson
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