Minnesota, which has one of the lowest per capita death rates

[MineralMan]

from COVID-19, might seem to be a candidate for beginning Phase One of Trump's "Open America" plan. But, not so fast. Its number of new cases is rising every week, and has been for quite some time. Entering Phase One is supposed to require two weeks of decline in the number of new cases.

Based on those criteria, most states won't qualify to begin Phase One. Most states have not reached a peak in new cases yet, and are experiencing a rise in those numbers. That's true even in rural states which have had few cases and few deaths, so far.

Donald Trump isn't going to get what he wishes for a while, if anytime soon at all. Testing is increasing, slowly, and that increase is one of the reason the number of new cases keeps rising.

Governor Walz of Minnesota was pretty quick to tell everyone to stay home, and he shut down a wide range of businesses, along with schools and other Petri dishes for the disease. That has helped the state keep its per capita death rate down. It has not, however, stabilized the number of new cases, which continue to rise, week after week.

[rurallib]

1. We in Iowa watch your governor with envy as ours bumbles and blithers

It will be interesting to see how Minnesota reacts to the meat processing plant in Worthington having an outbreak. Our governor hopes that the companies will do the right thing. This has lead to big outbreaks such as the one going on in Waterloo currently.

Walz has seemed to be on top of things up there. Our governor only seems to want to talk to Republicans, and turned down a chance to join Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois in a midwest alliance.

[MineralMan]

4. Yes, mostly it seems to be Democratic Governors who are forming

those coalitions of states. The Midwest meat packing industry is about to take a very big hit, I think. Poor working conditions, close quarters, and low wages are contributing to the spike in illnesses in those plants. Until those conditions for workers change, they will not be safe places to work, and could spread this pandemic into towns and cities near the plants. It's not a good thing in any way. Unless the Governors of Iowa and South Dakota act quickly, they're going to have a bad situation on their hands. Families of those workers are also part of the community and are often doing other work in other places nearby.

I'm watching both states closely. They could be the next hot spots.

[brewens]

2. Our local paper announced 8 residents at a nursing home were sick with one

death, plus 11 staff infected, literally right as we had 60 people downtown protesting the lockdown. We're in north central Idaho. That was right when we had held steady in deaths for a day but then added one. It's town of about 50,000 and I was just starting to think that just maybe, it wasn't going to get bad here. That news, plus the idiots starting to violate the social distancing, makes me think not so fast.

That also came up on FB right as a couple well off women I went to school with were saying how desperately they needed the salons to open back up. They are morans.

[MineralMan]

5. Yes. Idaho seemed to be doing pretty well. I think it was just slow

to get started with the epidemic. Nursing homes and other such facilities seem to be a focus for COVID-19, and it can spread from there, through the workers in those facilities.

As for the hair salons, maybe long hair will come back into fashion.

[Mariana]

3. Trump has forgotten (or he never knew)

that the state and local governments put these restrictions in place according to the recommendations of HIS task force that HE appointed. The task force wrote and distributed these mitigation plans on HIS orders, and he obviously hasn't read any of them.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. My guess is,

you folks in Minny are about to get another round of a Virus spike. Your Southern and Western parts seem to be just getting started. Said this before,watch for another go around in and around the Food processing plants.

As your Governor was ahead of the curve by closing many of these plants early on knowing the lay of the land so to speak,coming from the Mankato area,he understands how interconnected the workers families are and how movement of and how travel patterns work in Southern Minny.

Yes,Walz will be the Template on any successful reopening.

[LizBeth]

7. Betcha St Paul sees a rise in cases in 2-4'ish days. Actually, it takes a bit longer for the virus

to really start going. They had some demonstration. Though I have to shake my head at those wearing a mask calling it a fake pandemic or those staying in their vehicles to protest.