ST. PAUL, MINN. – State health officials say they remain concerned about the growth of COVID cases in schools and child care facilities.
Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says a cumulative total of 27-thousand-306 cases have been confirmed in the school setting, including nine-thousand-193 staff cases and 18-thousand-113 student cases. Malcolm says the rate of E-R visits and hospitalizations has increased for those under 18 since delta became the dominant COVID variant.
Her comments came on the day President Biden announced a sweeping new federal vaccination mandate — that all employers with over 100 workers require they either be vaccinated or tested weekly. The mandate also applies to workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funds.