Posted at 11:10 a.m. Updated at 4:07 p.m.
Featured photo: Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 cases by county, as of Tuesday, March 24. The darker blue areas of the map indicate the most cases, where the light green ones represent the fewest.
This article will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available. To view more on the COVID-19 pandemic in our state and region, view the COVID-19 category on the home page. For yesterday’s developments, view this article.
STATE UPDATES
Cumulative total and daily confirmed cases in MN. Graph courtesy of MDH.
The Minnesota Department of Health announced today there are 262 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the state, up 27 from yesterday’s total of 235.
To date, there has been one death, a Ramsey County resident in their 80s. So far, 21 patients have required hospitalization, with 15 currently hospitalized. MDH’s situation update website says 88 patients have recovered and no longer need to be isolated.
As of today, 5,812 samples have been submitted to the MDH Public Health lab.
Gov. Tim Walz and several other state officials briefed media today on how they’re addressing the supply issues, from hospital beds, ventilators, testing kits and personal protective equipment. Read more here.
LOCAL UPDATES
Bemidji’s City Hall closed this morning, and will remain closed until further notice.
Citizens are encouraged to conduct city business by calling city hall on the phone, using the secure drop-off box, or using the city’s website.
Lakeview Liquor will close at the end of business today at 6 p.m. First City Liquor will remain open.
RED LAKE NATION
The Red Lake Tribal Council has unanimously implemented a curfew for its members on the reservation. Effective as of yesterday, the curfew is from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the resolution provides exceptions for those going to and from their place of employment and for medical purposes.
Violators of the curfew will be issued a citation. The Band will review the curfew in 30 days.
GREAT RIVER RESCUE
Foster care providers are needed as Great River Rescue plans to temporarily close their doors this Friday. Yesterday, elective surgeries for veterinarian procedures were also postponed indefinitely per Gov. Walz’s executive order.
“With this order, Governor Walz effectively terminated our ability to save companion animals because we are a 100% spay/neuter facility,” said director Brandon Mustful on the rescue shelter’s website.
“If you are already an approved foster care provider, email us at fostercare@greatriverrescue.com or call us at 751-7910. If you are not yet an approved caregiver, please complete a foster home application – Click Here. It is imperative that we do not allow these animals to stay confined at our shelter because we don’t know how long this situation will last. The longer our animals remain at the shelter with little socialization, the more likely it is they will develop medical and behavioral issues.”
Great River Rescue will only be able to intake animals in emergency situations, according to a release. The April “Petfixers” event has been cancelled.
SCAMS
Ottertail Power is warning customers of a potential scam in the area.
“Scammers are taking advantage of potentially heightened anxiety around the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Customer Care Supervisor Collin Kremeier.
“It’s important for our customers to know that we’ll never pressure you to make immediate payments, especially through services like MoneyPak, MoneyGram, or pre-paid credit cards.
