Central Minnesota, USA Covid Timeline

NEWS
**A Statement from Little Falls Schools Superintenent Stephen Jones on the announcement Sunday by Governor Tim Walz. Little Falls Community Schools will have school today Monday, March 16, for all students. All schools in Little Falls will close beginning tomorrow, March 17. We feel it is important for the opportunity for students to personally connect with their teachers before the school closure begins. For parents who prefer to keep their children home today, please contact your children’s school office this morning. During the next two weeks, teachers will be working on distance learning plans that would be ready for students by March 30. We are asking middle school and high school students to clean out their lockers on Monday so we can perform a deep cleaning on those spaces. Also, we are asking that all students be prepared to take home the items from school that they will need over an extended period of absence from our schools. For parents whose children have medicine with our nurses, it is very important that you make arrangements on Monday to pick up that medicine from the school. We know there are a number of questions people have concerning the school closure as we receive a number of pieces of information from the district to explain our actions to the challenges that lie ahead of us all. Stephen Jones will be live on AM960 KLTF and online at fallsradio.com this morning at 8:30am to address the recent situation. Pierz and Upsala will also be closed starting on Tuesday.

–Sunday Morning Governor Tim Walkz proclaimed “In order to give educators the opportunity to form long-term COVID-19 plans, Governor Tim Walz has decided to temporarily close schools across the state starting on Wednesday and lasting until Friday, March 27. During that time, he says school staff, teachers, and administrators should work with the Minnesota Department of Education the Minnesota Department of Health to put together plans to continue student's learning, as well as access to childcare and meals in case of extended closures. Walz says during the week and a half period, schools will still be required to provide care for elementary-aged children of health care professionals, first responders, and emergency service workers. Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker says classes will resume on March 30th. Walz stated if schools wish to close earlier they are inclined to do so. Staples-Motley, Brainerd and Holdingford are closed starting today.

--President Donald Trump Friday announced the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz declared a Peacetime Emergency in the state and announced that he is asking to put a halt on gatherings of over 250 people and also smaller gathering have enough spacing between people in ways to protect those from spreading germs and the potential virus. The Convent, Hospital, Assisted Living Faciilites and Nursing Homes have implemented a no visitor policy at this time for the safety of the staff, patients and residents, asking no visitors and the hospital stated that they are asking those with flu like symptoms to please call for an appointment don't just show up. Bishop Donald Kettler announced that he has stopped the obligiation of attending Mass at this time and has asked that all church events, bingos, breakfasts, first communions, confirmations, retreats etc. be cancelled until April 1st.

--Other events cancelled or postponed due to the COVID 19 issues include Firearms Safety Class tonight in Buckman cancelled, Morrison County Public Works announced that the 2020 Township and Small Cities Weed Inspection workshop Wednesday, Sunrise Ag Coop also announced that their meeting on Tuesday has been cancelled. Kinship of Morrison County announced that they will postpone their Soup and Chili Cookoff and it will be made up on October 13th. Hands of Hope has postponed the Hope Rocks Neil Diamond Show with the Vee's until a later date that will be announced. City of Holdingford as cancelled their polka party this Sunday. Bingo at St James in Randall, all religious education classes by the St. Cloud Diocese, Confirmation at the Tri Parish March 29th and other events are likely to cancelled or postponed in the next two weeks until the first of April including spring sports until April 6th and with schools closing, no practices or activities will be planned until after March 30th. First United Church in Little Falls announced Friday no Sunday services until Palm Sunday-April 5th. The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum will be closed from March 15 through March 31.

Newsletter: Tuesday, March 17th 2020 -

-Governor Tim Walz on Monday closed all Minnesota restaurants and bars to the public in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Also closed are a number of other venues including movie theaters, fitness clubs, gyms, cafes, bowling alleys, bingo halls, arcades, and country clubs. The order goes into effect at 5:00pm Tuesday and extends to 5:00pm on March 27th. Delivery and curbside pickup of food orders will be allowed. Grocery stores and pharmacies are unaffected, and Walz encouraged them to stay open as “critical.”

Newsletter: Monday, March 30th 2020-

-As of Sunday March 29th; , there are now 9 confirmed deaths of COVID-19 in the state. The Minnesota Department of Health updating their information that of the four previous deaths, they were all in their 80s and three of the four lived in congregate living facilities. The other deaths have been made officials on where they died. Minnesota now has 503 confirmed cases of COVID-19, but half of those (252) have recovered and no longer need to be in isolation. The state says 75 of those confirmed cases required hospitalization. 39 of them are still in the hospital. Another set of numbers will come out today. There have been 17,657 COVID-19 tests completed in the state. Stearns County is still at five confirmed cases, Sherburne County has gone up to five confirmed cases as well, Benton County is still at one confirmed case. But some counties in central and north central and northern counties now have cases reported like Douglas, Otter Tail, Clearwater, Beltrami, Hubbard and Mahnomen have reported at least 1 case. None in Morrison, Todd, Crow Wing or Mille Lacs.

Newsletter: Monday, April 13th 2020 -

-The Department of Health's latest numbers on Sunday stated there are now 1,627 positive cases in Minnesota from 37,421 tests. Of those 842 are no longer in isolation from the virus. There have been 70 deaths as of Sunday related to the virus, 157 hospitalized and 74 are in the ICU. The Department of Health stated that average age of the deaths was 87 and all but 2 of the reported deaths were over the age of 65 in Minnesota. Todd County has their first two reports of the COVID-19 virus, Crow Wing is at 16 cases, Cass is at 4 cases. As of Sunday April 12th..2020; there are still no positive cases in Morrison, Mille Lacs, Aitkin or Wadena Counties

Newsletter: Tuesday, April 14th 2020 -

-Governor Tim Walz signed Executive Order 20-35 Monday extending the peacetime emergency in Minnesota for 30 days. Governor Walz declared a peacetime emergency to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13th 2020.

On March 15th 2020, Minnesota detected the first confirmed cases caused by “community spread”—infections not epidemiologically linked to overseas travel.

By March 17th 2020, all 50 states had reported a confirmed case of COVID-19.

On March 21st, the Minnesota Department of Health announced the first confirmed fatality due to COVID-19 in Minnesota.

Since the Governor declared a peacetime emergency, Minnesota has taken strong steps to respond to and provide relief for COVID-19: closure of schools and implementation of a distance learning period; enhanced protections for veterans in our veterans homes; activation of the National Guard to assist in relief efforts; measures to preserve personal protective equipment; temporary closure of bars, restaurants, and other places of public accommodation; efforts to provide economic relief and stability to those impacted by the pandemic; regulatory changes allowing our state agencies and licensing boards to ensure fast relief to Minnesotans; and an order directing Minnesotans to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus.

Today’s extension of the peacetime emergency is necessary for many of these measures to continue. This extension of the peacetime emergency is effective Monday, April 13th to Wednesday, May 13th, 2020.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reported they have arrested or charged twenty-three people with violating Minnesota's stay-at-home order aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus. In many cases, law enforcement officers added the misdemeanor charge as a secondary offense to another crime. Violating an emergency order is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. All were stopped for other crimes.

Newsletter: Friday, April 17th 2020 -

-Thursday's numbers from the Department of Health stated that there are 94 death (related to COVID-19), 1,912 positive tests in the state of Minnesota of the 41,675 tested (again that does not mean the total of thoses with the viruses only the ones that test have been completed for). Of the 1,912 there are 1,020 no longer in isolation. 475 were hospitized, 213 remain and 103 in ICU. Mille Lacs County had their 1st positive test case announced Thursday. Morrison, Wadena and Aitkin County have no positive cases yet. Todd 2, Douglas 1, Otter Tail 4, Stearns 11, Benton 1, Crow Wing 17, Cass 4, Sherburne 12 and Wright is at 21