The state government’s handling of COVID-19 in Minnesota’s care homes has been a disaster, not that you’d know it from the media
On Tuesday, I wrote about how Minnesota had suffered 266.7 Covid-19 deaths per million of the state’s population, a figure which ranks our state 19th highest nationally. I noted how 77.9% of all our state’s Covid-19 deaths came from care home, the fourth largest share of total deaths in the United States. Indeed, as I also noted, Minnesota has had more Covid-19 deaths in its care homes – 1,172 – than 30 states have had in total. If we strip out care home deaths, our state’s number of Covid-19 deaths per million plummets to 58.9, which ranks us 34th highest nationally.
Simply put, the Covid-19 crisis in Minnesota is primarily a crisis in the state’s care homes.
The same day, Gov. Walz and Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm held a press conference to address the Covid-19 crisis in Minnesota’s care homes. These tweets from the excellent Tom Hauser of KSTP give the highlights:
HAPPENING NOW: MN Gov. Tim Walz delivering a broad update on MN COVID-19 situation with a focus on battling COVID in long-term care facilities. Says situation stabilized, but not taking a “victory lap.” Live now on Ch. 5 and https://t.co/ybexqNXmdp. pic.twitter.com/UZKD4TYCY3
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) July 21, 2020
MN Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says in May they’d average 23 LTC facilities reporting new COVID cases each day. That’s down to 6 per day in July. The number of deaths also beginning to decline. pic.twitter.com/QB7yDMt4vo
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) July 21, 2020
MDH Commissioner Malcolm credits increased testing and PPE in long-term care facilities for the reduction in cases and deaths.
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) July 21, 2020
Gov. Walz responds to questions about why MN didn’t address LTC deaths and outbreak sooner…and says lack of PPE and other tools were lacking because there is “no national strategy.” Worries about that when it comes to making decision whether to open schools. pic.twitter.com/nNqpoeO1yw
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) July 21, 2020
Gov. Walz might not have been taking a victory lap, but he didn’t need to, the Star Tribune was eager to take one for him. In a story titled ‘Deaths in Minnesota long-term care drop tenfold‘, it reported:
The deaths in long-term care facilities that fueled the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota have dropped tenfold since the state launched an aggressive testing and staffing plan to protect workers and residents.
Three cheers for the state’s plan!
Not so fast. Gov. Walz unveiled his five point plan on May 7th. At that time, according to Department of Health data, Minnesota had suffered 507 Covid-19 deaths, of which 407 – 80% – were in care homes. As of Tuesday, Minnesota had suffered 1,548 Covid-19 deaths, of which 1,189 – 77% – were in care homes. Indeed, since Gov. Walz announced his “aggressive testing and staffing plan to protect workers and residents” of Minnesota’s care homes, 75% of the state’s Covid-19 deaths have come in those same care homes. Is this what success looks like?
Large parts of the Star Tribune story are simply administration talking points regurgitated. This is no way to hold the Walz administration to account for its failure to protect Minnesota’s care homes.
John Phelan is an economist at the Center of the American Experiment.