Coronavirus Updates: The Latest COVID-19 Headlines From April 12, 2020
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Researchers are at work predicting how coronavirus may spread in Minnesota. Meanwhile, in recent days, the U.S. surpassed Italy for the highest death total in the world due to the virus.
Here are the latest updates in the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, April 12:
- 7:58 p.m.: Starting Monday, Essentia Health is encouraging guests to wear cloth face masks. Guests will be provided with a mask if they did not bring one.
- 7:28 p.m.: A bi-partisan group of lawmakers and two food and alcohol industry groups are holding a press conference Monday to urge Gov. Tim Walz to allow alcohol takeout orders to help struggling restaurants and bars.
- 4:17 p.m.: Minnesota Correctional Facility - Moose Lake is under a "Stay with Unit" order after nine inmates and eight staff members tested positive for COVID-19 -- and 26 other inmates are presumed positive.
- 4:05 p.m.: The North Loop Neighborhood Association is rallying together by putting votives in closed biz windows and raising money for N95 masks for first responders.
- 3:35 p.m.: The correctional facility in Moose Lake has had nine inmates and eight staff test positive for COVID-19, in addition to 26 "presumed positive" inmates. The prison has implemented a "stay with unit" plan.
- 2:43 p.m.: Hennepin Healthcare has launched two clinical trials for a drug to see if it will help COVID-19 patients. Researchers are studying the safety and efficacy of the drug remdesivir.
- 1:01 p.m.: The head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis praised the central bank for its response to the coronavirus, saying the Fed and its chairman, Jerome Powell, are being "as aggressive as possible."
- 12:45 p.m.: Italy has its lowest number of new deaths in three weeks, saying 431 people died in the past day to bring its total to 19,899.
- 11:01 a.m.: Minnesota's health department reports that six more people have died of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 70.
- 9:08 a.m.: Christians in the U.S. and around the world celebrated Easter at a distance on Sunday, with most churches closed and family gatherings canceled amid wide-ranging coronavirus shutdowns.
- 8:20 p.m.: Health officials say 657 more people in England with the coronavirus have died, taking total U.K. deaths over 10,000.
- 7:34 p.m.: The U.K. says Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from the hospital as he recovers from the coronavirus.
- 3:52 a.m.: Pope Francis held his Easter mass at St. Peter's basilica with no public in attendance for the first time, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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