Seven-year-olds who beg for a play date now video chat. Gym rats work out to YouTube videos. Book clubs, yoga classes and church groups connect via videoconferencing apps. Commuter congestion is gone.
A makeshift ventilator made from $150 in parts is one of several ways in which the school refocused its know-how in translational research vs. the pandemic.
The Ramsey County resident who died March 19 was 80 to 89 years old with underlying health issues, according to officials. Nearly a third of the state's counties have been affected.
Gov. Tim Walz told Minnesotans that compliance with public health recommendations over the long haul will protect the most people. The 77 total cases so far show the growing scope of COVID-19 in the state.
The hospital, which had its operations cut this winter in a budget-balancing move, could be a pivotal resource in managing the outbreak, providing specialty intensive care and keeping the infected from other hospitals.
Minnesota's public health lab is restricting criteria for COVID-19 testing after a surge of testing activity that taxed its supply of kits and chemicals. The state has now 60 cases of the viral disease.
The effort initially was hobbled by delays in getting testing kits out to public health labs, but the stumbles have continued, leading scientists to conclude that the virus has taken root in more places than government officials say.
The news comes as health officials reported seven new cases, including one in a teen, to push the state's total to 21. Authorities are still on the lookout for proof that the novel coronavirus is spreading from person to person.
The state's health care institutions have worked together on plans. Still, they worry about the reality of limited capacity. "It won't be business as usual," said Helen Strike, a leader of Allina's incident command team.
Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime state of emergency, limiting large gatherings such as concerts, conferences and sporting events. Five more Minnesotans have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing cases to 14.