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.

You'll be able to order free at-home COVID test kits starting on Wednesday
The new order doubles the number of tests the White House plans to buy — for a total of 1 billion kits. Biden said a website will launch next week so Americans can order the free tests.
10 tips to help navigate this round of distance learning
Dozens of districts across the state are shuttering schools, meaning students will take to the kitchen table to learn. And while this go-around may be short-lived (fingers crossed), it certainly will be filled with stress for all parents. Here are some strategies to help.
Minn. parents contend with 'revolving door' of child care quarantines
Minnesota clarified its suggestions for handling COVID-19 in state licensed child care settings, as providers, parents and employers struggle to cope with a new record wave of coronavirus infections.
Poop surfaces as crucial tool to track Twin Cities COVID
Wastewater analysis closely matches other ways to track the virus like case counts — except wastewater can flag spikes faster than traditional testing.
ERs are overwhelmed as omicron continues to flood them with patients
Omicron may cause milder disease but the sheer number of patients is making this wave far worse for the health-care system. With packed emergency rooms, patients can wait days to get moved to a hospital bed.
Nursing home operators fear 'collapse' after another COVID wave
In the early stages of the pandemic, nursing homes and assisted living facilities faced enormous challenges and grief, as the virus had severe and deadly consequences on residents. Now some say the system of caring for vulnerable people is itself in danger.
Rapid omicron spread closes Minn. schools on short notice
The swift onslaught of omicron cases is sending teachers and students home in Minnesota. The exponential rise in absences has forced many districts to pause in-person classes and implement a variety of distance-learning plans for much of the rest of January. 
Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for U.S. businesses
The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job.
Duluth mayor orders 30-day mask mandate as COVID cases climb
“If you want to be mad at me, be mad at me. That’s what I’m here for. It’s still the right decision,” Emily Larson said Thursday as she announced a mask mandate for indoor public gathering spaces for people older than 5.
What's it like to be in high school during the omicron surge?
As COVID-19 sweeps through schools and some return to distance learning, we heard first-hand accounts of what life is like in school during the pandemic from high schoolers around the Twin Cities.