COVID-19

CentraCare is reporting 90-plus patients with COVID-19 throughout their facilities in Central Minnesota. CentraCare Spokesman Dr. George Morris joined me on WJON this week. He says more than 70 of those are at St. Cloud Hospital.

With COVID-19 booster shots approved by U.S. health officials, which Minnesotans can get what booster vaccine doses?

The number of COVID-19 positive patients within CentraCare hospitals in Central Minnesota continue to be high. CentraCare Spokesman Dr. George Morris joined me on WJON today.

CentraCare issued a vaccine mandate for employees in August. CentraCare spokesman Dr. George Morris joined me on WJON this week. He said in the past week they started the vaccination process of another 120 employees bringing their total vaccination numbers to just under 80% of their staff vaccinated.

CentraCare spokesman Dr. George Morris says CentraCare and St. Cloud Hospital is "at capacity for all patients". Morris says they have approximately the same amount of COVID-19 patients within CentraCare and at St. Cloud Hospital as they had last week but with all other non COVID-19 care needs they just don't have the beds or enough staff to handle the pressure they are facing due to COVID.

Governor Tim Walz announced a COVID-19 action plan Friday morning to relieve crowded hospitals across the state.

U.S. health officials just endorsed booster shots of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for some at-risk Americans.

CentraCare and St. Cloud Hospital continue to see a surge of positive COVID-19 patients. CentraCare Spokesman Dr. George Morris joined me on WJON. He says they have 87 positive COVID-19 patients throughout CentraCare with 66 of them at St. Cloud Hospital.

Minnesotans will soon have more opportunities to get tested for COVID-19.

St. Cloud Police has adjusted over the past year and a half due to COVID-19. St. Cloud Assistant Police Chief Jeff Oxton joined me on WJON. He says adjustments they've made include less person to person contact, when possible, and when they are called to a home asking to have conversations outside in the open air.

The COVID-19 numbers at St. Cloud Hospital and within CentraCare have increased to the point where they have now surpassed the spring surge numbers. That according to CentraCare Spokesman Dr. George Morris. He says they have 75 positive COVID-19 patients within CentraCare with more than 60 at St. Cloud Hospital.

it could be a long, long winter.