MDH briefing: Commissioner highlights Albert Lea student COVID outbreak

The Minnesota Department of Health held a COVID-19 briefing on Friday to address the Albert Lea breakout among students, new cases involving kids and more.

Below is a more detailed look at what was discussed Friday afternoon:

• 324 new positive cases have popped up in places where kids are gathering recently, including areas such as schools, camps and other settings.
• MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm discussed the Albert Lea breakout and used that as an example of how fast the virus can spread when there are no masks mandates in place.
• According to Malcolm, the delta virus isn’t more severe in kids than it is in adults. However, she noted that we are bound to see more illness that requires hospitalizations in kids. Hospitalization rates are low among kids, but COVID cases among kids are up.
• The Minnesota Department of Education does not track which Minnesota schools are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance when it comes to masking, quarantining and social distancing.

Listen to the full MDH briefing above.