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.

Osterholm: Newest COVID variant could drive hospitalizations higher here
Minnesota’s averaging about 560 weekly COVID hospitalizations and 180 deaths a month. “Those numbers could change substantially if XBB1.5 does show up” here in a big way, University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm tells MPR News host Cathy Wurzer.
China has reopened its borders to tourists after three years of COVID closure
The ability of residents Hong Kong to cross into mainland is one of the most visible signs of China's easing of border restrictions, with travelers arriving no longer required to undergo quarantines.
RSV recedes and flu peaks as a new COVID variant shoots 'up like a rocket'
RSV and the flu appear to be receding in the U.S., but COVID is on the rise, new data suggests, driven by holiday gatherings and an even more transmissible omicron subvariant that has become dominant.
COVID-19 isn't done with us yet, U's Osterholm warns
COVID-19 cases are exploding in China while U.S. health officials worry holiday gatherings may reignite the virus here. Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer Wednesday to lay out the current state of the pandemic.
It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults
Public health officials want more Americans to get the latest COVID vaccine booster. Only 35 percent of people over 65 have gotten the shot, though 75 percent of COVID deaths are among people in this age group.