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.

The road to reopening
As the country looks to reopen in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, how can we balance public health with economic viability?
St. Paul advocates move online to help domestic abuse survivors
On a normal day, the staff at Women’s Advocates of St. Paul have a tough job. But with in-person contact limited, they’ve had to change the way they help domestic abuse survivors.
Healthy pigs being killed as meatpacking backlog hits farms
Officials estimate that about 700,000 pigs across the nation can't be processed each week and must euthanized. Most of the hogs are being killed at farms, but up to 13,000 a day also may be euthanized at the JBS pork plant in Worthington, Minn.
Essential workers plan May Day strikes; others demand end to lockdowns
Essential employees are planning labor actions to call for sick leave and hazard pay, while nurses will protest for more PPE. Meanwhile, others are calling for an end to the lockdowns.
Farmers markets aim to offer comforting tradition, produce
With their outdoor space and flexible layouts, farmers markets may be able to adapt more easily to the needs of shoppers during a pandemic.
May 1 update on COVID-19 in MN: 371 dead; 'just getting our arms' around the spread
Minnesota’s health commissioner on Friday defended Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to extend the state’s stay-at-home order as necessary in the face of rapidly rising numbers of COVID-19 cases reported and deaths recorded.
How reliable are COVID-19 tests? It depends
What types of testing are available for the coronavirus? And how accurate are they? Here's a handy guide to the field.
Rent is due, but millions of Americans won't be paying
Housing activists are enlisting renters who can and can't pay rent starting May 1 to sign a pledge with the goal of putting pressure on landlords and policymakers.
Family's illnesses suggest coronavirus may have been in Minnesota longer than thought
Kate Austin came home from Japan in late January with a strange illness she couldn’t seem to beat. Her arrival caused a chain reaction of sickness among friends and family that ultimately ended in a coronavirus diagnosis.