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.

In online graduation speech, Obama criticizes virus response
Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation's response to the coronavirus, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials "aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
13 USS Roosevelt sailors test positive for COVID-19, again
They had been thought to be cleared of the virus, which infected hundreds of crew members on the U.S. aircraft carrier in recent weeks. The sailors are receiving medical support on Naval Base Guam.
GOP officials say they're expecting 50,000 in Charlotte for national convention
Republicans say they're moving ahead with plans to gather tens of thousands of people at their presidential nominating convention in North Carolina this summer — even as Democrats weigh their options for convening during the coronavirus pandemic.
J.C. Penney files for bankruptcy as lockdowns take their toll
J.C. Penney began 2020 with hopes of yet another turnaround. Instead, the coronavirus shutdowns across the country have forced the department store and mall mainstay into bankruptcy.
As the pandemic moves from public health crisis to partisan flashpoint, the debate over the coronavirus response in the U.S. is becoming increasingly nasty – and, in some cases, violent.
Democrats push new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through House
Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House, aimed at bracing the struggling U.S. economy and health care system. Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wish-list that was dead on arrival in the GOP-led Senate.
May 16 update on COVID-19 in MN: Death toll in state reaches 700
The state Department of Health said there were 17 more deaths from COVID-19. The state reported results from more than 8,600 tests — nearly 2,000 more tests than the previous daily record in the state
Minnesota schools allowed to reopen for summer: Here’s what it means
K-12 schools will be allowed to open their doors to students for a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning starting this summer. Gov. Tim Walz has given the go-ahead for summer school, day camps, and district-based child care as long as they can follow public health guidelines on sanitation and physical distancing.
New evidence suggests COVID-19 patients on ventilators usually survive
Early reports suggested death rates as high as 90 percent for COVID-19 patients on ventilators. But some hospitals are now reporting mortality lower than 30 percent.