Minnesota health officials are holding their first #COVID19 briefing of the year.
Health commissioner Jan Malcolm says the situation has "improved" after restrictions went in place.
"If we let our guard down, COVID-19 finds a way to surge back in terrifying ways," she says.
The major pharmacy chains that are vaccinating people in Minnesota's long-term care facilities expect to finish that work in 3-4 weeks, infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann says.
Minnesota health officials are pushing back on complaints about slow vaccine rollout.
"Minnesota is in line with other similarly sized states," Ehresmann says.
Minnesota has used 37% of its doses, which ranks 22nd nationally, according to CDC data.
Asked about how many eligible people are refusing vaccines, Ehresmann says she doesn't have hard data but some nursing home staff have expressed concern.
On the other hand, “residents are very eager to be vaccinated," she says.
Ehresmann says Minnesota health officials have not heard of any vaccine being spoiled or wasted here.
Last week, a pharmacist in Wisconsin allegedly spoiled more than 500 vaccines deliberately.
Minnesota expects to get 33,100 Pfizer doses and 32,700 Moderna doses over the coming week, Ehresmann says.
The feds are only giving projections one week at a time now after getting "burned" in December with giving rosy estimates and later cutting them, she says.
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In front of reporters, Gov. Tim Walz says the 10-person/3 household cap applies to Thanksgiving gatherings but "we’re not going into someone’s home and arresting them on Thanksgiving."
I asked if this was so important, why wait until after the election?
Walz: "Had we been at this spike in August, we would’ve done it in August... The virus dictates our timing. The virus dictates the moves we make."
I asked for evidence that infection rates double after 9 p.m., as Walz said in his speech.
"It does," Walz said. "It's human behavior" that people get closer together, talk louder.
He points out that Utah also imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on bars today.
Gov. Tim Walz on surge in coronavirus cases in Minnesota: "I wish I could tell you this was unexpected, but it is not."
Walz, pointing to a chart during his live statewide speech showing Minnesota's case growth, says this week's increase "would go absolutely off the television screen."
As Walz winds up to his announcement on new restrictions, a reminder that we've already reported what they are. Read them here:
After a federal judge signals that he’ll let Minnesota’s mask mandate stand, @GovTimWalz suggests that it’s here to stay.
“One of the last things we’ll do is lose the masks,” Walz says.
He declines to lay out a timeline because of the pandemic’s uncertainty.
Walz suggests he’s unlikely to fill open cabinet positions soon, after the Senate fired two commissioners and another retired.
“I’m hesitant to fill them before the election, because I think they’ll (Senate GOP) remove them again,” Walz says.
Walz still will not say if he’ll drop his endorsement of John Thompson, a Democratic House candidate who made violent threats against the Minneapolis police union president and his wife this summer.
“I need to sit down and figure this out,” Walz says.
Attorney Erik Kaardal, who is suing Gov. Tim Walz and others over Minnesota's mask mandate, has run into a very skeptical U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz this morning.
"My word, your honor," an exasperated Kaardal said after Schiltz questioned several of his claims.
Schiltz does not immediately rule on the lawsuit challenging Minnesota's mask mandate, but tells an attorney for the state that he's "leaning your way."
He says he'll have a ruling soon.
In one exchange, Schiltz said people can protest the mandate in many ways w/o violating it.
Kaardal argued violating the mandate is "not a big deal, judge. It's just a protest."
“People who are vulnerable to COVID might think it’s a bigger deal than you do," Schiltz retorted.