New Minnesota greeting: “Are you vaccinated?”
By Lee Egerstrom Businesses and entertainment venues throughout Minnesota are quickly imposing requirements on patrons and customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations. The state is now following suit. If you want to work in-person jobs with state agencies, or with state agencies to work with the general public, you are now required to show […]
New Briefs – April 2021
Water Protectors Keep Up Pressure on Line 3 Funders in Duluth (Duluth, MN) On March 31st, Water Protectors marched through downtown Duluth to call out Wells Fargo’s investments in Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline. Two people chained themselves to the front doors of the bank, shutting down the branch for nearly an hour. This is the […]
Distance learning still a struggle for Native students
By Lee Egerstrom Urban area students in younger grades are finding their way back into school classrooms while educators keep their fingers crossed that another surge in COVID-19 infections won’t push all students back into distance learning regimes. This is especially so for teachers and school administrators who have Native American students in their classes, […]
COVID-19 vaccines: Native Americans say “bring it on”
By Lee Egerstrom As January came to a close, greater supplies of COVID-19 vaccines were reaching Minnesota and there were signs Native Minnesotans were rolling up their sleeves to receive the life-saving vaccinations. State health officials were still concerned about the slow pace of receiving vaccine. Programs are in place for getting supplies to the […]
Wrapping up 2020 but not the end of COVID-19 pandemic
By Lee Egerstrom As the year 2020 winds down, the outlook for the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota can be described as improved but far from controlled. That is especially so for the Native American communities where relatives and friends may have gathered for the Christmas season or are planning to do so for New Year’s […]
Vaccinations start as COVID-19 deaths and infections hit milestones before the holidays
By Lee Egerstrom Vaccines for preventing the COVID-19 virus began arriving in Minnesota a week before the Christmas holidays even as the state was reaching new milestones for infections, hospitalizations and deaths. More than 3,000 frontline healthcare workers were among the first to be inoculated after initial shipments of the Pfizer vaccine reached Minnesota destinations […]
More than half of Native American workers are in risky jobs for COVID-19
By Lee Egerstrom A research group has pulled together data that show Native American workers and other minorities are at greater risk of becoming infected by COVID-19 because they hold jobs that require in-person, or face-to-face contact with others. The Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said in a Dec. 1 report that 51 […]
COVID-19 cases spike; new curfews and social gathering limits are in place
By Lee Egerstrom With all 50 states reporting spikes in COVID-19 pandemic cases, and with Minnesota and Upper Midwest states in the thick of it, new state guidelines and restrictions for social gatherings have gone into effect. Thanksgiving celebrations, except for households, will need to be scaled back. The new guidelines announced in the second […]
Native Americans urged to get flu shot during Covid-19 pandemic
By Eddie Chuculate The Minnesota Department of Health is recommending that Native Americans get a flu shot this season, especially during COVID-19, as catching the flu would weaken your immune system and make you even more vulnerable to the deadly coronavirus disease. “The flu vaccine will not protect you from COVID-19,” the MDH said in […]
Minnesota eases COVID-19 restrictions for visiting elders in assisted living, senior care homes
By Lee Egerstrom With cold weather fast approaching, and after months of isolation for many elders throughout the state, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued new guidance for allowing families to visit loved ones in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and others being assisted by home care providers. The new guidance and restrictions […]
A quick community-based COVID-19 Public Health Survey is coming your way
By Lee Egerstrom The Minnesota Department of Health has launched a deeper look at how COVID-19 is impacting different communities in Minnesota to give health professionals, state and local officials, and citizens themselves better understanding of how the pandemic is affecting them. Equally important, it will give all involved guidance on what policies may be […]
Minnesota food shelves, already busy, brace for bigger demand
By Nina Moini / MRP News The COVID-19 pandemic has created huge demand for free or reduced-cost food across the state as Minnesotans have lost jobs and children missed out on school lunches. Food shelves anticipate even more people will rely on them to get enough to eat. On July 21, Biantu Sheriff looked over […]