COVID-19: Coverage of the pandemic from MPR News

The latest news, resources, guides and tips to help you stay up to date on the coronavirus pandemic.

Pandemic pay panel won't make Labor Day deadline
The goal of having a plan for splitting up $250 million for Minnesota’s pandemic frontline workers by Labor Day won’t come to pass. A nine-member working group is striving for unanimous agreement.
Until 2023? Parts shortage forecast to keep auto prices sky-high
A surge in COVID-19 cases from the delta variant in several Asian countries that are the main producers of auto-grade chips is worsening the supply shortage. Analysts say that means record-high consumer prices for vehicles will extend into next year.
Parents group sues state of Minnesota, seeks statewide mask mandate for schools
A group of parents of students at Minnesota K-12 schools that have not implemented mask mandates are suing the state, asking the court to order Gov. Tim Walz to enact a statewide mask mandate for schools amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Latest COVID surge strains central Minnesota hospitals
Available hospitals beds are dwindling in central Minnesota as COVID-19 cases surge. To make sure the health care system doesn’t get overburdened, hospital officials say it’s important for eligible people to get vaccinated and wear masks in schools and other indoor public places.
Caught between parents and politicians, nurses fear another school year with COVID-19
As kids head back to class, school nurses are stretched thin as they handle increased workloads and delta-variant case surges. Managing a third school year in a pandemic has put even more strain on those in a profession already facing staffing shortages.
COVID-19 delayed quinceañera celebrations. Now 17 is the new 15
As more people get vaccinated against COVID-19, some delayed traditions are returning — including quinceañera celebrations. They've taken on a new meaning — the celebration of life, and the remembrance of loss.
Poison control centers are fielding a surge of ivermectin overdose calls
The nation's poison control centers saw a 245 percent jump in reported exposure cases from July to August as more people take the anti-parasite drug that some people falsely claim treats COVID-19. Most patients are overdosing on a version of the drug formulated to treat parasites in livestock.
COVID-19 in MN: Summer wave grinds on toward the fall
Minnesota’s late-summer COVID-19 wave is spilling over into early September, continuing a slow-motion climb toward a crest, although it’s still not clear when that’s coming.