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.

Fans banned at Olympics; Tokyo under state of emergency
Fans from aboard were banned months ago, and the new measures announced by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will clear venues around Tokyo — indoor and outdoor — of any fans at all.
Do I need to take precautions at hotels if I'm vaccinated?
Most fully vaccinated people won't need to take special precautions at hotels, but what you're comfortable with will depend on your situation. To help you decide your comfort level, one doctor suggests looking at infection and vaccination rates in the place you're visiting.
July 8 update on COVID-19 in MN: Death rate falls to early pandemic lows
The state averaged fewer than four deaths per day in the past reporting week, the lowest rate since early April 2020, in the pandemic’s earliest weeks. Data continues to show the disease is in check, although it still may have one or two moves left.
How to be safe and considerate in the transition out of COVID-19
Host Angela Davis talks to an infectious disease doctor and an etiquette expert about awkward office hugs, who should still wear a mask around children and other challenges in the new phase of COVID-19. 
July 7 update on COVID-19 in MN: Uptick, but no upswing in cases; no new deaths
Minnesota’s most recent COVID-19 data continues to offer signs of a pandemic that’s subdued but not quite dead. New daily cases and the positive test rate are up a bit, but counts are still hovering near their April 2020 lows.
Campers return — but with COVID-19 precautions
Summer camps are back in session across Minnesota after the pandemic forced them to stay closed last year. They’re taking steps to keep their staff and campers safe from COVID-19.
Delta is now the dominant coronavirus variant in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released new estimates showing the highly contagious delta variant now accounts for 51.7 percent of cases in the U.S. In some parts of the country, the strain is responsible for 80 percent of cases.
As demand for vaccines decline, public health shifts focus to small, targeted clinics
Just a few months ago, the state was launching massive COVID-19 vaccine clinics for anyone who was eligible. But now public health officials are focusing on clinics that are small and targeted to specific, sometimes hard-to-reach populations.
How a medieval city dealing with the Black Death invented quarantine
The wealthy merchant city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, had a problem. The Black Death was killing much of Europe, but Dubrovnik didn't want to lock down and lose business.