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.

Hospitals feel squeeze as coronavirus spikes in Midwest
Midwestern states are seeing some of the nation’s highest per capita rates of infection, and while federal health officials again urged some governors in the region to require masks statewide, many Republicans have resisted.
Twin Cities educators seek assurances for safe return to classroom
Unions representing staff in Minneapolis and St. Paul district are asking for five things before switching the learning model in their districts from distance learning to hybrid models, which combine in-person and distance learning.
Juggling financial stress and caregiving, parents are 'very not OK' in the pandemic
The pandemic economy is squeezing families with kids: 74 percent of those earning less than $100,000 report serious financial woes, in an NPR poll. Experts worry about lasting impacts on kids' mental health.
Sept. 30 update on COVID-19 in MN: 16 deaths; total cases near 100K
State officials continue to stress that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and Health Department numbers continue to bear that out. Wednesday’s count of newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths was the highest in more than a month.
How Operation Warp Speed's big vaccine contracts could stay secret
More than $6 billion in federal funding has been routed through a firm that manages defense contracts, making the agreements subject to less federal scrutiny and transparency.
'This is too much': Working moms are reaching the breaking point during the pandemic
The coronavirus did not create the struggles that working mothers face daily. But it has exacerbated them and made them more visible, forcing women of all income levels to make hard choices.
Doctors believe the physical stress of overcoming COVID-19 and the emotional stress of living through a pandemic are leading to an increase in abnormal hair loss.