The Minnesota Department of Health reports 17,029 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus, an increase of 660. Seventeen more people have died for a total of 748.
In Tuesday’s media briefing state health officials respond to the concerns of frontline workers who said PPE is still scarce.
Saying they’re “maxed out” and they want transparency, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association told the House committee on Minnesota’s Pandemic Response and Rebuilding in sometimes emotional testimony that they’re upset hospitals can dictate PPE guidelines based on their own quantities.
The state directed hospitals to depend on their own supply chain before making requisitions from the state’s reserve when they reach four to seven days of inventory.
Still, nurses said they’re concerned they’re not protected by PPE conservation efforts -- that standards acceptable now wouldn’t have been three months ago.
“We certainly hear the tension and the questions around what is appropriate use, what is appropriate conservation,” she said. “It certainly is the case that what might have been automatic before to one-time use and then dispose, that is changing. The degree to which that’s appropriate and evidence-based -- I think these questions around sterilization and reuse, there seems to be very good evidence that that is an effective way to conserve and reuse.
She added there are no easy answers in the back-and-forth between ideal use of PPE versus conservation.
“I don’t want to make an overly broad statement about who’s right and who’s not in this situation,” Malcolm said. “I think there are understandable arguments and points of view on each side. Our best role is to make sure those conversations are happening between the nurses and the health systems and making sure we’re doing everything we can to assist the health systems and providers large and small across the state.”
Malcolm said “everything is on the table,” including revisiting allowing elective surgeries, something the nurses said could exacerbate the rationing. But she said many people have put off medically-necessary procedures for too long.
MDH is also reporting a “notable” increase in hospitalizations. Fifty-seven is a single-day high. Infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann said they can’t say for certain what led to the increase, but it might be related to some people showing mild, then severe symptoms of Covid-19.
And starting today every 19th of the month through the end of the year, Gov. Tim Walz is directing flags flown at half staff to honor those who have died from Covid-19.
