Health

Health
More contagious version of omicron spreads in U.S., fueling worries
The omicron BA.2 variant spreads about 30 percent more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions.
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Wastewater, case counts signal pandemic retreat
Minnesota’s newest COVID-19 numbers show more evidence of a rapidly ebbing surge. That includes Twin Cities wastewater, where COVID concentrations are at their the lowest since July. By late fall, the omicron mutation started whacking Minnesota.
A granddaughter passes on the legacy of 'Granny Hayden,' a midwife born into slavery
"If somebody needed help — Granny was going. Black and whites alike, it made no difference to her," Mary Othella Burnette says of her late grandmother, a second-generation midwife in Black Appalachia.
Governor’s emergency powers could change after COVID-19 crisis
An unprecedented use of executive authority during the COVID-19 pandemic has state lawmakers looking at a rewrite of the peacetime emergency powers law. Republicans are pushing for big changes, and Democrats say they are also open to an update.
California adopts nation's first endemic virus policy
The state's plan sets specific goals, such as stockpiling masks, providing wide-scale daily vaccinations and tests and adding 3,000 medical workers within three weeks in surge areas.
MN Senate Republicans propose bonuses for long-term care workers
State Senate Republicans outlined a proposal Thursday to spend $322 million on $1,000 bonuses to long-term care staff members who stay on in their current roles, as well as signing bonuses for those who decide to join the industry. The plan also calls for grants to cover costs of education and training.