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Author Topic: Minnesota  (Read 25563 times)

forgetful

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #25 on: April 26, 2020, 08:20:36 PM »
Per MPR, MN's health economist estimates that reported COVID cases are being underreported by 99% due to lack of widespread testing:

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/04/11/latest-on-covid19-in-mn

“Multiply the confirmed cases by 100,” Stefan Gildemeister, the state’s health economist, said Friday. “That’s where we expect to be.” That puts the high estimate at 133,600 cases in the state.

Gildemeister said officials arrived at that estimate by looking at the number of reported deaths from COVID-19, which are much more noticeable than the number of cases, then working backward to estimate “how many infected patients does it really take” to get that number of deaths.


Interesting, that would put the mortality rate below 0.2%. I think death tolls are actually a better measure of total infections right now, but use the 0.8-1% mortality rate estimated by antibody tests in NY.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #26 on: April 30, 2020, 04:29:43 PM »
MN Gov Walz extends stay-at-home order to May 18, and allows narrow exception for retailers to open for curbside pickup only (similar to current status for restaurants). Also considering the possibility of allowing elective medical and dental visits.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/04/30/latest-on-covid19-in-mn

I have some concern that he is doing this as numbers continue to rise, but I take some comfort that: (1) he talks with experts at Mayo, the U of MN and the MN Department of Public Health, and takes their input seriously; (2) he is doing this gradually, and has stated that large gatherings and widespread indoor activities are still quite a ways off.

Not my ideal, but far better than GA and several other states.

We shall see....

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #27 on: May 01, 2020, 02:54:37 PM »
While most of MN is doing reasonably well in terms of the numbers, I discovered this morning that St. Cloud currently has the highest growth rate of any city in the US...doubling every 2 days. Yikes!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/23/upshot/five-ways-to-monitor-coronavirus-outbreak-us.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#next-hotspots

Also interesting to see Iowa occupying 3 of the top 5 spots. Not terribly shocking I guess, since they never had a stay-at-home order....

Stronghold

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #28 on: May 01, 2020, 03:03:55 PM »
Executive Order 20-48 states "all workers who can work from home must continue to do so."  My wife is a graphic designer and her employer is telling her to come to the office starting on Monday.  She sent an email to the HR manager and got some BS response about how their business is cleared to reopen.  Regardless if the business as a whole can open, shouldn't employees that are able to work from home continue to do so?  They also said if she doesn't have any medical issues she should be coming in or something like that.  She has been working from home for the last several weeks with no issues.

Jockey

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #29 on: May 01, 2020, 03:21:44 PM »
MN Gov Walz extends stay-at-home order to May 18, and allows narrow exception for retailers to open for curbside pickup only (similar to current status for restaurants). Also considering the possibility of allowing elective medical and dental visits.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/04/30/latest-on-covid19-in-mn

I have some concern that he is doing this as numbers continue to rise, but I take some comfort that: (1) he talks with experts at Mayo, the U of MN and the MN Department of Public Health, and takes their input seriously; (2) he is doing this gradually, and has stated that large gatherings and widespread indoor activities are still quite a ways off.

Not my ideal, but far better than GA and several other states.

We shall see....

Ohio is doing the same thing. I think (?) it’s a good idea to start this. We’ll see what the effect is in a couple weeks.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #30 on: May 01, 2020, 03:36:12 PM »
Executive Order 20-48 states "all workers who can work from home must continue to do so."  My wife is a graphic designer and her employer is telling her to come to the office starting on Monday.  She sent an email to the HR manager and got some BS response about how their business is cleared to reopen.  Regardless if the business as a whole can open, shouldn't employees that are able to work from home continue to do so?  They also said if she doesn't have any medical issues she should be coming in or something like that.  She has been working from home for the last several weeks with no issues.

I see it the same way. The language in Section 8 is pretty clear about being required to keep working from home if she is able to do so, even if she is in a Non-Critical Exempt Business. Heck - it's the first sentence of the entire section and it's in all bold lettering, so I'd think they would take it seriously. I would encourage her to quote that language back to HR, and specifically ask for written documentation of why they believe she is not capable of working from home. Maybe even ask to talk to someone from Legal (if the company has a legal department).

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #31 on: May 07, 2020, 07:14:16 PM »
According to data from Johns Hopkins, MN, NE and PR have COVID rates that are 50% higher than last week.

https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-caseloads-states-b24899a3-286e-4ea9-bd71-0e88ed645e68.html

Minnesota should NOT be reopening any non-essential businesses yet. This is crazy.

cheebs09

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #32 on: May 08, 2020, 11:59:23 AM »
Executive Order 20-48 states "all workers who can work from home must continue to do so."  My wife is a graphic designer and her employer is telling her to come to the office starting on Monday.  She sent an email to the HR manager and got some BS response about how their business is cleared to reopen.  Regardless if the business as a whole can open, shouldn't employees that are able to work from home continue to do so?  They also said if she doesn't have any medical issues she should be coming in or something like that.  She has been working from home for the last several weeks with no issues.

Everyone I’ve talked to is talking about a phased approach. I’ve been told to plan on working from home for a few more months, and I’m in Wisconsin. That’s pretty consistent with the companies my friends work at.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #33 on: May 10, 2020, 02:54:38 PM »
Health officials encourage more Minnesotans to seek testing for COVID-19

https://www.startribune.com/health-officials-encourage-more-minnesotans-to-seek-testing-for-covid-19/570343811/

Even as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota continues to soar, the push to dramatically expand testing is coming up short because not enough people with symptoms are seeking tests.
....
"The providers are telling us: People aren't coming in, either because they had gotten the message previously that testing wasn't available or for whatever reason," said Jan Malcolm, the state's health commissioner. "People aren't availing themselves of the testing capacity that's there. We need to do better."

The Minnesota Department of Health is calling for patients with symptoms to get tested. Testing is key to understanding not only the disease, but also when states can begin to safely reopen businesses and activities that remain shut down by stay-at-home orders.


______________


Bottom line: If you live in MN and have symptoms, get in to be tested. There is plenty of testing capacity.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #34 on: May 13, 2020, 06:38:47 PM »
We have one of the highest rates of new cases in the country, one of the highest new death rates in the country and our governor decides to allow the stay at home order to expire even though Trump’s CDC says it’s too early. Weak.

All the people who wanted to put business first should be thrilled right now. Let me know when #thegreatturnaround happens.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #35 on: May 24, 2020, 10:48:09 AM »
A few weeks ago, MN was doing amazing well. Good testing compared to most places, good compliance with stay at home orders, and for quite a while, we were 50th in infection rate and had a remarkably low number of infections and deaths. And our governor seemed to be listening to the scientists.

Then he opened things up in response to political and economic pressure, well before the numbers said he should. And we started flying up the chart in terms of total infections and infection rate. Over the course of a few weeks, we have moved up to 21st in infection rate, 20th in total infections and 18th in death rate. And with our numbers still increasing faster than those of many states ahead of us on the list, we will likely be in the top 15 in all of them within a week.

And now Governor Walz has caved to pressure to open churches to services up to 25% of capacity...higher even than permitted capacities in some Bible Belt states.

We are gonna be making some national headlines soon.... :(

real chili 83

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #36 on: May 26, 2020, 12:17:50 PM »
A few weeks ago, MN was doing amazing well. Good testing compared to most places, good compliance with stay at home orders, and for quite a while, we were 50th in infection rate and had a remarkably low number of infections and deaths. And our governor seemed to be listening to the scientists.

Then he opened things up in response to political and economic pressure, well before the numbers said he should. And we started flying up the chart in terms of total infections and infection rate. Over the course of a few weeks, we have moved up to 21st in infection rate, 20th in total infections and 18th in death rate. And with our numbers still increasing faster than those of many states ahead of us on the list, we will likely be in the top 15 in all of them within a week.

And now Governor Walz has caved to pressure to open churches to services up to 25% of capacity...higher even than permitted capacities in some Bible Belt states.

We are gonna be making some national headlines soon.... :(

All true, but you can't ignore greatly improved testing availability.  Hospitalizations would seem to be a more accurate indicator.  That number is up too.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #37 on: May 26, 2020, 02:17:04 PM »
All true, but you can't ignore greatly improved testing availability.  Hospitalizations would seem to be a more accurate indicator.  That number is up too.


Fair points. I just hope we thread the needle between keeping business alive and getting a nasty summer surge. I am admittedly risk-averse when it comes to health issues, so maybe Walz and the experts he's consulting with have it right.

Time will tell....

Elonsmusk

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #38 on: July 26, 2020, 12:40:46 PM »
Anyone find it odd that Minnesota with its very cautious approach - as compared to Wisconsin - yet cases of COVID are virtually identical?

Hard to fathom how this could be possible given the recklessness of Wisconsinites going to bars (unmasked/inside) after the Supreme Court overturned the shutdown. 

Oddly, Minnesota's has now had 1600 deaths from Covid and Wisconsin 900?  Have to question leadership in the state of Minnesota.  Governor Walz has blood on his hands and should be held to account for this tragedy.


tower912

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #39 on: July 26, 2020, 12:51:26 PM »
Looks like goooooo called it in May.
Luke 6:45   ...A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil.   Each man speaks from his heart's abundance...

It is better to be fearless and cheerful than cheerless and fearful.

mu_hilltopper

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #40 on: July 26, 2020, 12:57:01 PM »
Anyone find it odd that Minnesota with its very cautious approach - as compared to Wisconsin - yet cases of COVID are virtually identical?

Hard to fathom how this could be possible given the recklessness of Wisconsinites going to bars (unmasked/inside) after the Supreme Court overturned the shutdown. 

Oddly, Minnesota's has now had 1600 deaths from Covid and Wisconsin 900?  Have to question leadership in the state of Minnesota.  Governor Walz has blood on his hands and should be held to account for this tragedy.


I think this raises some good topics.   On a state level anyhow .. the efficacy of public health policies may move the needle some, but not much.   

I'd surmise it's more about culture than good governance.   There are large swaths of national-wide culture that is anti-expertise, or anti-authority, or anti-science, plus a good amount of selfishness or an unwillingness to sacrifice for the common good.    You drop XX% of those people in the state and you're going to have bad outcomes despite even the best of governance.

Minnesota may be that poster child.

-- Also -- there's a certain factor of just plain random bad luck.   Like .. not all meat processing plans were wiped out, only a few.  They just rolled snake eyes and it ran rampant. 
« Last Edit: July 26, 2020, 03:26:50 PM by mu_hilltopper »

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #41 on: July 26, 2020, 01:49:34 PM »
Anyone find it odd that Minnesota with its very cautious approach - as compared to Wisconsin - yet cases of COVID are virtually identical?

Hard to fathom how this could be possible given the recklessness of Wisconsinites going to bars (unmasked/inside) after the Supreme Court overturned the shutdown. 

Oddly, Minnesota's has now had 1600 deaths from Covid and Wisconsin 900?  Have to question leadership in the state of Minnesota.  Governor Walz has blood on his hands and should be held to account for this tragedy.


Minnesota's approach was not 'very cautions' compared to Wisconsin. WI began opening on May 13, and MN began on May 18. The subsequent phases followed quickly in both states. And MN has had outbreaks from unmasked customers in bars, just like Wisconsin.

Very similar approaches -> very similar case rates.

I don't know the explanation for the death rates, but it could be as simple as different reporting criteria.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #42 on: October 01, 2020, 04:10:13 PM »
The good news: We are doing dramatically better than our immediate neighbors who are experiencing some of the highest recent case rates in the country, as reflected in 7-day rolling averages (ND #1, SD #2, WI #3, IA #4, MN #18). And our testing rate per capita is second in the region to ND, and far above the others.

The bad news: Our numbers are still increasing too quickly ahead of the 'indoor' season, and we just hit 100,000 confirmed cases today.

Stay safe and wear your masks!

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #43 on: October 14, 2020, 09:42:41 AM »
MN has been one of the top testing states in the upper midwest, keeping its recent upticks in cases well below those in ND, SD, WI, and IA, and positivity rates around 5%. Yesterday officials announced a plan to dramatically increase testing capabilities, including saliva tests.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/10/14/latest-on-covid19-in-mn

News Tuesday that state officials are ramping up plans to massively expand COVID-19 testing opportunities across Minnesota served to reaffirm a point public health leaders have been making for weeks: The pandemic here is far from over.

The ramp-up includes new saliva testing sites opening in Moorhead and Winona this week and Brooklyn Park next week. The state’s already running a site in Duluth and is building out a lab in the St. Paul suburbs to process the waves of tests expected to follow.

Collectively, Minnesota will be able to process 60,000 tests per day, officials said, about twice what it’s managed on its best days to date.


------------

MN has been far from perfect in its handling of the pandemic, but the results show we are mitigating it much better than our immediate neighbors. Hopefully, we can get people to avail themselves of these tests, and quarantine when appropriate to keep cases down.

real chili 83

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #44 on: October 14, 2020, 11:10:27 AM »
MN has been one of the top testing states in the upper midwest, keeping its recent upticks in cases well below those in ND, SD, WI, and IA, and positivity rates around 5%. Yesterday officials announced a plan to dramatically increase testing capabilities, including saliva tests.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/10/14/latest-on-covid19-in-mn

News Tuesday that state officials are ramping up plans to massively expand COVID-19 testing opportunities across Minnesota served to reaffirm a point public health leaders have been making for weeks: The pandemic here is far from over.

The ramp-up includes new saliva testing sites opening in Moorhead and Winona this week and Brooklyn Park next week. The state’s already running a site in Duluth and is building out a lab in the St. Paul suburbs to process the waves of tests expected to follow.

Collectively, Minnesota will be able to process 60,000 tests per day, officials said, about twice what it’s managed on its best days to date.


If you live near one of these sites, almost no reason to not get one.

------------

MN has been far from perfect in its handling of the pandemic, but the results show we are mitigating it much better than our immediate neighbors. Hopefully, we can get people to avail themselves of these tests, and quarantine when appropriate to keep cases down.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2020, 11:12:41 AM by real chili 83 »

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #45 on: October 29, 2020, 06:01:33 PM »
Interesting dynamic ahead of a scheduled Trump rally in Rochester tomorrow afternoon.

It was originally announced that he would have the rally at the airport, and host “25,000 people.“ The Rochester mayor insisted that he follow state health department guidelines, which limit the size of outside gatherings to 250 people.

This morning the rally was moved to a business in a nearby small town, again with promises of “25,000 people.” Then  this afternoon it was announced that the rally would not be at that business, but might be back at the airport.

I don’t think the campaign would follow the state health guidelines...but the city operates the airport and the mayor has stated that local and state police may regulate access. Should be interesting to see what happens....

https://kttc.com/2020/10/29/rochester-city-official-says-trump-rally-moving-to-nearby-community/

Jockey

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #46 on: October 29, 2020, 07:02:18 PM »
trump is bound by no law. His lawyers actually argued in court that murder is not illegal for the president.

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #47 on: October 29, 2020, 07:35:27 PM »
trump is bound by no law. His lawyers actually argued in court that murder is not illegal for the president.


Yeah, I know that’s what he thinks. This is kind of interesting though, because the city has the ability to restrict access to the airport, and seems willing to exercise that ability. The airport is small enough that it would not be a significant disruption to flights, so that isn’t an issue like it would be in larger cities.

My guess is he ends up going to another place in Minnesota, or perhaps western Wisconsin (LaCrosse?).

GooooMarquette

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #48 on: October 29, 2020, 08:47:12 PM »
Latest update: The city of Rochester (at the urging of the Mayo Clinic) held firm on compliance with the state guidelines. The city has now announced that it will be an invitation-only event.

https://www.rochestermn.gov/Home/Components/News/News/8119/1121

https://www.medcitybeat.com/news-blog/2020/trump-campaign-settles-on-invite-only-rally-at-rochester-airport

The city is also going to be setting up a perimeter on the roads surrounding the airport. I haven’t heard anything formal, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a checkpoint for invitations.

Jockey

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Re: Minnesota
« Reply #49 on: October 29, 2020, 10:24:19 PM »
We haven’t heard the end of this, I would bet.

 

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