Minnesota district cancels classes because of virus worries
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A suburban Minneapolis school district cancelled classes on Friday over concerns about the coronavirus, becoming the first in Minnesota do so, as state officials planned to announce new measures meant to slow the spread of the disease.
The Robbinsdale Area School District said it canceled classes and other activities for the day “out of an abundance of caution" because a parent came in contact with someone who tested positive for the COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The district said the parent did not have symptoms, but was in the Forest Elementary gymnasium on Wednesday when students were being picked up.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota State High School League canceled the remainder of the state basketball tournaments out of concern for the COVID-19 pandemic. The league announced the cancellation on Friday morning shortly before the girls Class 1A semifinals were to begin at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota. The boys tournament was scheduled for next week, with most games at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis canceled all performances through April 5. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul canceled their St. Patrick's Day parades. Twin Cities Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced that Catholics in the archdiocese would not have to attend Sunday Mass because of the outbreak.
Minnesota had 14 cases of COVID-19 as of midday Friday, which was up from nine a day earlier.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of victims recover.
Gov. Tim Walz scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference to announce “community mitigation strategies" in response to the outbreak.
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman notified members and staff Thursday night that there would be no meetings or hearings until after the House floor session at 11 a.m. Monday. Fridays are normally quiet days at the Capitol, but the order resulted in the cancellation of four hearings.
The speaker and the three other other legislative leaders issued a statement saying they'll continue discussions through the weekend about the agenda for the 2020 session in light of the virus, but that no decisions had been made about restricting access to the Capitol. Congress closed the U.S. Capitol complex to the public on Thursday.
The Minnesota Republican and Democratic parties said they would postpone their upcoming local and congressional district conventions for the next few weeks. Democrats went even further, saying the party was working on scheduling “virtual conventions,” limiting attendance at official party events, and closing its party headquarters to the public through May 1.
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