Coronavirus in One State (135)
8th December 2020
Governor Walz is talking faster and faster about less and less. Yesterday he appeared at the regularly scheduled press briefing with Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann (video below). They announced a shift in the recommended quarantine guidelines consistent with last week’s revised CDC guidance. Walz contributed approximately nothing to the discussion. He loves to hear himself talk.
My impression from listening in yesterday is that we are on the other side of the current wave of the epidemic. Fatalities reported over the past three days numbered 75 (12/5, 43 in long-term care facilities and other congregate care settings), 64 (12/6, 38 LTC residents), and 21 (12/7, 8 LTC residents). As I understand their remarks, new cases also seem to have moderated. Before declaring progress, however, they await the dreaded Thanksgiving effect on case numbers that they anticipate in the data this week.