Snow, strong winds and slippery roads

COVID-19 cases spiked on Sunday. It was the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus tests with 194 new cases confirmed. The death toll is now at 70.

There’s a new model for coronavirus in Minnesota. As David Montgomery reports, us folks in the public aren’t going to get to see the details of the model — they’ll remain secret for weeks to come. But we do know that it relies on several estimates, which is especially crucial given the limited testing.

How we fare depends on how we act. Even with vigorous public policy responses, such as a stay-at-home order into May and social distancing into June, the model says 22,000 Minnesotans will die by March 2021 from COVID-19.

If you’d like to get back to normal, consider the consequences. If leaders enact something less strict than another month of stay-home and another two months of distancing, the model predicts between 40,000 and 50,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Here are the latest coronavirus statistics:

1,621 cases via 37,421 tests

70 deaths

361 cases requiring hospitalization

157 remain in the hospital; 74 in ICUs

36 percent of cases in people 20-44 years old

842 patients recovered

When it comes to safe grocery shopping, know the dangers. Disinfecting your groceries is not necessary — touching a box of Froot Loops is not the danger. However, the other shoppers are, which makes physical distancing and avoiding crowds crucial. For more tips, read this from NPR.

Looking for something to do? Libraries across Minnesota have started offering contactless curbside pickup. Details vary from library to library, as Emily Bright reports, so check in with your local one first.

How are you staying in touch during the stay-at-home order? Let us know here; bonus points for creativity.

— Cody Nelson, MPR News