State cracking down on bars, restaurants opening against order

The metro area will probably top out in the upper 20s this Saturday — a bit above average for this time of year. Other parts of the region will see Saturday highs in the 20s, with lower 30s from far southern Minnesota into west-central and southwestern Wisconsin. Check out the latest from Updraft.

Minnesota is getting less COVID-19 vaccine in the initial shipment than first promised. State infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann says that federal officials have indicated that it's because of fluctuation in manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Minnesota reported 65 more COVID-19 deaths today.

Minnesota has posted 1,130 deaths in the first 18 days of the month, just six short of the number of deaths in the whole of November, which was the state's deadliest month of the pandemic so far.

The Health Department also reported 2,737 newly confirmed cases, part of a week of relatively moderate counts. The seven-day trend for new hospital admissions has receded to levels not seen since early November.

Attorney General Keith Ellison has sued more than a half dozen establishments for reopening despite Gov. Walz’s executive order that prohibits in-person dining and drinking at bars and restaurants.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka suggested that Ellison’s office budget should be slashed, equal to the fines levied against businesses. However, Ellison told MPR News this morning that the backlash is the least of his concerns.