Monday a.m. update: Another coronavirus case in Minnesota
Good morning and welcome to a fresh week. Here’s what you need to know this Monday.
Our fling with spring is over. Hope you got to enjoy the nice weekend weather. Twin Cities highs in the lower 40s with 10 to 15 mph winds and cloudy skies. Statewide, partly sunny with a chance of rain in the southeast. Northwest highs near 20; southeast highs near 40. More on Updraft. | Forecast
Click here for today’s radio lineup
Minnesota has a second coronavirus case. It’s in a Carver County resident in their 50s, who appears to have been exposed to the virus while in Europe late last month. The patient’s symptoms started March 2 and they sought treatment Saturday.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Health officials are looking for people who’ve been exposed to COVID-19. Respiratory droplets are how the virus spreads, so they’re seeking people who have been within 6 feet of the patient for 10 minutes or more. Those who may have been exposed should self-quarantine for two weeks.
The Health Department’s advice: Seek medical care as you normally would, and stay home if you’re sick. “We don't want people to feel like just because COVID is circulating that they need to seek health care,” said Kris Ehresmann, director for infectious diseases at the state. “What's most important in this situation would be that we want people to, when they're ill, to stay home.”
We’re still asking for and answering your coronavirus questions. Head here to find answers to common questions and submit your own.
There’s a smaller sequel to Super Tuesday this week. We can call it Big Tuesday as Michigan, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington voters head to the polls for Democratic presidential primaries. There are 352 delegates at stake this Tuesday, compared to well over 1,000 on Super Tuesday.
Michigan is the biggest state up for grabs, and Biden has an edge in the polls. That’s despite Sanders winning the state in the 2016 contest. Washington state has the next-most delegates at stake and Biden is leading the limited polls there, too.
Flood season is here. Two state highways in southern Minnesota were closed over the weekend due to snowmelt and ice jams. If you’re traveling near Henderson or St. Peter, take note and look up the latest road conditions.
Four thousand Twin Cities janitors aren’t going on strike anymore. Their union, Service Employees International Union Local 26, reached an agreement with employers over the weekend. The janitors are getting a raise, guaranteed sick time for full-time workers and reduced health insurance costs — perfect timing to keep the janitors on the job as coronavirus continues its spread.
Talks continued Sunday in St. Paul ahead of a potential teacher strike that could begin Tuesday.
— Cody Nelson, MPR News
Want this in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to the MPR News Update here.