Minnesotans enjoy end to holiday weekend mindful of COVID-19 concerns
(FOX 9)
(FOX 9) - The holiday weekend comes as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country. Headed into the weekend, health leaders feared that a lack of social distancing during the holiday weekend could foster further spread.
To see whether or not people celebrating did enough, it may take some time before we see an impact on COVID-19 cases from some of those Fourth of July gatherings in Minnesota.
At Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream on Excelsior Bay, we grabbed a little flavor of opinions about our COVID 4th of July as this very different holiday weekend came to a close.
"I think Minnesota’s actually doing a very good job," said Alexandra Johnson of Minneapolis. "I’ve visited a couple of states around here and I think Minnesota is doing their best."
Of course, your view of how Minnesota is faring depends on your view of the pandemic -- and those views remain across the board.
"Actually I don’t buy it at all," said Eric Bentz of Eden Prairie. "No, because I don’t know anybody that’s sick or anybody that’s died."
The weekend numbers from the Minnesota Department of Health for Friday and Saturday show more than 28,000 tests performed and 519 new cases or about 1.8 percent positive. Five new deaths were also reported in Minnesota, all of them in long-term care or assisted living with four patients in their 80s and one in their 70s.
To date, the highest number of cases, 8,300, are people in their 20s but there are only two deaths in that age group. The highest number of deaths, 507, are among people in their 80s.
It remains to be seen if a second peak is coming and many are walking a fine line to be normal but be safe.