| Photo by Christine T. Nguyen | MPR News
May 19, 2020
'Lower risk does not equal no risk': MN health officials implore people to wear masks, distance | | |
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Good morning and happy Tuesday. Here's a forecast and the latest on COVID-19.
A calm spring day. Clouds fade into sun and the Twin Cities will see highs in the upper 60s. Statewide, highs from the mid-60s to lower 70s. Nighttime lows in the 50s, aside from along Lake Superior where lows dip into the upper 30s. More on Updraft | Forecast
Stores and malls are open, and health officials are pleading with Minnesotans to stay safe. “Lower risk does not equal no risk,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said yesterday, shortly after Minnesota's stay-home order expired. “We’re really going to have to keep up these behaviors for a long time to come."
Basically, that means guidance remains the same, but in more places. When in public, the Health Department is recommending social distancing, masks, hand washing and staying home if you're sick. And avoid unnecessary trips, too.
Here are the latest coronavirus statistics :
16,372 confirmed cases via 156,606 tests731 deaths2,128 cases requiring hospitalization488 people remain hospitalized; 229 in intensive care10,764 patients no longer needing isolation*(* I've changed this labeling for this statistic because the Health Department has changed how it's reporting the number. More information here.)
Day one of in-person shopping was a cautious one. "We have to be on the forefront ... showing people that we're concerned with their welfare," Jack Stone, owner of Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais, told MPR News reporter Jon Collins. Read the rest of Jon's report to see how the first day back played out across the state.
A COVID-19 vaccine is showing promise. And it has no serious side effects, as NPR reports: A vaccine manufacturer is reporting preliminary data suggesting its COVID-19 vaccine is safe, and appears to be eliciting in test subjects the kind of immune response capable of preventing disease.
Face shields, gowns, gloves and masks can be scary for patients. But Sheila Kingston, a registered nurse at M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, has found a simple fix: She has a printed photo of herself, smiling, that she brings from room to room in a Ziploc bag that she can disinfect. “I'll go in there, introduce myself and then I'll show them that picture close up,” she said. “And it's been a real positive experience.”
And one more happy story before we go ... A group of chefs and volunteers are cooking and delivering meals every weekday, focusing on healthy foods with at least 50 percent indigenous ingredients. I interviewed one of the chefs, Brian Yazzie, who told me their philosophy is “food is medicine ... especially during this time of pandemic for the elders to keep their immune system as strong as possible.” Here's the rest of the story and a link to how you can help out.
— Cody Nelson, MPR News | @codyleenelson |
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