Dear Neighbors,
I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy as Minnesota experiences its most dangerous days yet in the COVID-19 pandemic. The surge in cases and deaths have taken place across the midwest, and indeed the country, with many states reverting to the measures we saw last spring. Though the promising news of effective vaccines gives us hope, the facts are that we still have months to go before they could be distributed in a best-case scenario, and until then measures must be taken to ensure our community stays healthy.
New COVID-19 Restrictions
Yesterday, following the guidance of the state’s top public health officials, Governor Walz announced the return of familiar measures:
- Minnesotans are being asked to stay home when possible, avoiding gatherings with people outside of their household.
- Restaurants and bars are dialed back to delivery and takeout only. Gyms and fitness studios will close. Entertainment venues, event spaces, and similar establishments will also close.
- Youth sports are on pause. Sports-related cases are nearly twice as prevalent among high school-age children as any other age groups and they increasingly play a key role in the need to move schools to distance learning.
The return to these restrictions will be an added burden to our community, but the alternative is a system where Minnesota’s hospitals are overrun, putting all medical emergencies at risk. I echo the sentiments shared by my legislative colleague, Dr. Alice Mann, which you can listen to here.
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