The COVID-19 crisis is driving dramatic changes in Minnesota public school enrollments, including a drop of some 17,000 students in the past year, with families delaying kindergarten and choosing options outside the public system, the state Education Department says.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is vaccinating its community at rates faster than the rest of South Dakota. That mirrors a trend in Indian Country which has been hard hit by the coronavirus.
Scientists say the pandemic will only end in the U.S. when we achieve what's called herd immunity. Play with our simulations to see how immunity can stop an outbreak in its tracks.
As vaccinations continue, new variants of the virus are spreading. Scientists worry that the vaccine could be less effective against these mutations and that infection rates might rise again if one of these variants becomes the dominant strain.
The “vaccine connector” will alert Minnesotans of their eligibility, connect them to resources to schedule an appointment and provide information on nearby vaccination opportunities. Minnesotans will still have to make their own appointment to get a shot through a vaccine provider.
Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers continue to show pandemic conditions improving to the point where the state will allow middle and high school buildings to reopen starting next week. The vaccination pace is improving modestly.
A new report finds that life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths. Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black people losing nearly three years and Hispanics, nearly two years.