Minnesota House Speaker Tests Positive for COVID-19
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman disclosed Wednesday that she has tested positive for COVID-19. Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, tweeted that she experienced congestion, but is otherwise feeling fine.
“My allergies seemed a little bit worse this morning than a normal spring day so I thought it would be prudent to check,” Hortman tweeted.
The diagnosis comes at a pivotal time for the state legislature. The deadline to adjourn is May 23. Yet Republicans and DFLers still have key differences to work out on a number of key issues, including K-12 education spending and public safety.
Hortman says she will continue to participate in end-of-session negotiations remotely.
Average daily new cases in Minnesota have risen to the highest levels since mid-February. According to Minnesota Department of Health data, daily new cases have climbed to 28.7 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period ending May 2. That’s up 33% over the week prior. However, cases are still far lower than they were during the winter omicron wave when new daily cases reached 246.4 per 100,000 residents in mid-January.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention risk map for COVID-19 puts Hennepin County at “medium” level risk for community spread. One county in northwest Minnesota, Pennington County, is at a “high” level for coronavirus transmissions.
Also See: State Launches At-Home COVID-19 Testing Program
