COVID-19: Coverage of the pandemic from MPR News

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Minneapolis limits bar service as people crowd too close together in some establishments
With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey is imposing new restrictions on bars. The emergency order takes effect Saturday evening. It does not close the establishments entirely, but they’ll be table service only. Patrons will no longer be able to sit at the counter.
July 30 update on COVID-19 in MN: 745 new cases, 5 more deaths; Walz unveils schools plan
The newest numbers come as Gov. Tim Walz calls for returning to in-person classroom teaching but leaving it to districts to decide whether their school systems will start the year in buildings, online or some combination based on their local COVID-19 conditions.
Walz's schools plan stresses in-classroom teaching, flexibility to shift
“It’s gonna be a first day of school unlike any we’ve seen,” Walz said Thursday as he unveiled what he described as a localized, data-driven — but “not perfect” — plan for the fall.
Irregularities in COVID-19 reporting contract award process raises new questions
The administration awarded a contract for a COVID-19 database to TeleTracking Technologies using a process reserved for innovative research. Its CEO had links to the New York real estate world.
Ask a dermatologist: ‘Maskne’ and other skin questions
Many of us have been wearing masks since early April. But wearing fabric over your mouth and nose can trap bacteria and cause breakouts. The term dermatologists use to describe this is ”maskne.” Two dermatologists join the program to talk about mask acne and answer other skin care questions.