≫ GOOD AFTERNOON, MINNESOTANS, 
AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING A 
LITTLE TIME WITH US.
IT'S -- WE'RE HEADING INTO THE 
LONG LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
IN ANY OTHER YEAR BUT 2020, MOST
OF THIS
GROUP AND US INCLUDED WOULD BE 
AT THE STATE FAIR DOING THE 
THINGS THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH.
WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO OPEN 
HOUSES
INSTEAD AS I WAS THIS MORNING, 
ONLINE
WITH MY SON'S EIGHTH GRADE 
TEACHER AS HE GOES INTO EIGHTH 
GRADE.
BUT IN COVID-19, MANY, MANY 
THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
WE'RE APPROACHING SIX MONTHS 
SINCE MINNESOTA AND
THE UNITED STATES TOOK THE MOVES
TOWARDS EMERGENCY ACTION AROUND 
STOPPING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.
WE'VE LEARNED MUCH DURING THAT 
TIME.
WE'VE LEARNED WHAT WORKS, WE'VE 
LEARNED SOME THINGS THAT DON'T 
WORK.
WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO LEARN 
BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE 
KNOW THAT WE CAN CONTROL THAT 
MAKE AN IMPACT.
SINCE THAT DAY BACK IN MARCH, 
WHEN WE
ANNOUNCED THE FIRST DEATH AT THE
END OF MARCH, MINNESOTANS
NOW, WE'VE LOST 1,837 OF OUR
NEIGHBORS AND WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 
80,000 CONFIRMED INFECTIONS.
THE THINGS THAT WE WATCH HAPPEN,
GRADUATION CEREMONIES BECAME 
REMOTE.
WEDDINGS WERE POSTPONED.
VISITATIONS TO OUR ELDERLY 
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS BECAME 
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
AND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS,
WE'VE ASKED MINNESOTANS TO HELP 
US MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TO ATTACK THIS HEAD ON.
TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.
TO DO IT AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR
OUR NEIGHBORS, AND WE HAVE DONE 
THAT.
EARLY IN THIS PANDEMIC, WE ASKED
MINNESOTANS TO STAY
HOME, TO SHELTER IN PLACE SO 
THAT WE COULD BUY A LITTLE BIT 
OF TIME TONE SURE THAT WE HAD 
THE HOSPITAL CAPACITY.
AND THE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, 
THE VENTILATORS, THINGS LIKE 
THAT, THAT WE NEEDED.
SO WE DIDN'T END UP IN A 
SITUATION WHERE WE WATCHED 
COMING OUT OF ITALY OR NEW YORK 
CITY.
WE THEN MOVED AND WE STARTED TO 
SEE THINGS THAT WE COULD
DO, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE 
WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO 
SHELTER IN PLACE
FOREVER AND WE HAD TO START 
FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE RETURN
TO SOME PLACE WHERE FOLKS CAN GO
BACK TO WORK AND STILL KEEP 
PEOPLE SAFE.
WE STARTED TO USE THE BEST 
SCIENCE TO
ADJUST CAPACITY AND, AND THEN
SOMETHING WE HAVE FOUND OVER 
THOSE SIX MONTHS THAT CAN MAKE A
BIG IMPACT
IS WEARING MASKS, ESPECIALLY IN 
CROWDED PLACES AND IF YOU'RE 
GOING TO BE THERE FOR AN 
EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE MEANT 
TO SLOW THE
SPREAD OF THE INFECTION, AND TO 
WORK US TOWARDS
A PLACE WHERE VACCINES WOULD 
COME ONLINE.
I SAID BACK IN MARCH WHEN WE HAD
A VERY UNUSUAL STATE OF
THE STATE ADDRESS FROM THE 
BASEMENT OF THE GOVERNOR'S RES
DEN THAT WE WERE IN FOR A LONG 
DARK WINTER, AND WE KNEW IT WAS 
GOING TO BE.
THERE'S MANY BRIGHT SPOTS OF 
FOLKS COMING TOGETHER.
THERE'S BEEN GREAT PROGRESS MADE
IN KEEPING
PEOPLE WHO END UP IN I.C.U.
ALIVE OR KEEPING THEM OUT OF 
I.C.U.
BUT WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.
AND I THINK FOR MANY OF US AS WE
TRANSITION
TO FALL, SIX MONTHS
AGO, IT WAS MY HOPE WE
WOULD BACK DOING ALL THOSE 
THINGS WE TALKED.
WELL, THE VIRUS IS NOT ALLOWED 
US TO DO THAT.
AND WE HAVE TO REMAIN VIGILANT.
WE HAVE GOT TO STICK WITH US.
AS YOU'VE SEEN, IT BURNED HOT 
THIS VIRUS BURNED HOT IN THE 
NORTHEAST.
IN MOVED TO THE SOUTH.
PEOPLE SEATING THINGS AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND NOW WE'VE SEEN
A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO DIFFERENT 
PLACES THIS SUMMER AND BRING 
BACK INFECTIONS TO THE MIDWEST.
DR.
FAUCI YESTERDAY CAUTIONED SEVEN 
STATES IN THE UPPER MIDWEST ARE 
ON HIGH ALERT.
WE'RE SEEN CASES INCREASE IN 
SURROUNDING STATES, UPWARDS 200%
IN THE CASE OF SOUTH DAKOTA.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE 
STAYED AT A
RELATIVELY MANAGEABLE, 
APPROXIMATELY 5.3, 5.4% 
POSITIVITY RATE.
THAT NUMBER WAS UNDER FIVE UP 
UNTIL THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
IT HAS BEEN CREEPING UP IN THE 
RECENT WEEKS.
WHAT WE KNOW IS ONCE YOU GET 
ABOVE THAT NUMBER, THERE'S A 
VERY FINE LINE OF A TIPPING 
POINT.
LAST WEEK WE WERE VISITED BY 
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
TOP ADVISOR, DR.
BIRX AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE 
THAT WE WERE TALKING TO ONE 
ANOTHER.
AND WHAT SHE WAS SEEING WAS IS 
THE POTENTIAL FOR MINNESOTA TO 
TIP OVER TO THAT PLACE.
AND PRETTY TERRIFYING TO HEAR 
THE PRESIDENT'S SCIENCE
ADVISOR ON THIS CAUTION US, IT 
THA THESE WERE
MANY OF THE SAME FLASHING LIGHTS
WE'RE SEEING LOOK LIKE ARIZONA 
BEFORE ARIZONA WENT WHERE THEY 
ARE.
AND SHE WAS BRINGING SUGGESTIONS
FROM THE C.D.C., AND THE TASK 
FORCE ON WHAT WE WOULD DO.
THINGS WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING
ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO WITH SCHOOL OPENING NEXT 
WEEK IN MANY COMMUNITIES, WE
PUT TOGETHER THAT PLAN AT THE 
END OF JULY AND WORKED ON IT FOR
MONTHS WITH A VERY CLEAR 
UNDERSTANDING AND THE DAY I 
ANNOUNCED
IT, I SAID I FELT THAT
IT WAS ALL TOGETHER POSSIBLE 
THAT STUDENTS
WOULD MOVE THROUGH ALL THREE 
PHASES%
DISTANT LEARN TO HYBRID TO IN 
PERSON.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR MORE OF THE
SPECIFICS FROM COMMISSIONER
MALCOLM, BUT WE HAVE NEVER SHIED
AWAY FROM WHAT THE FACTS ARE 
AROUND COVID.
WE HAVE A REPUTATION AND WE 
ENDED UP BEING THE BEST IN THE 
COUNTRY FOR OUR DATA AND THE 
THINGS THAT WE PUT OUT.
I WANT TO THANK THIS TEAM, KRIS 
EHRESMANN AND HER
FOLKS, THE EPIDEMIOLOGISTS OF 
BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE
TO CRAFT AND EVOLVE AS THIS 
VIRUS MOVES TO UNDERSTANDING 
WHAT
IT'S DOING AND THEN TO MAKE SOME
PREDICTIONS THAT
ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO OF WHAT
COMES NEXT AND WHAT
WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT
WHAT COMES NEXT IS GOOD FOR 
MINNESOTANS.
AND THAT'S A DIFFICULT TASK.
WE'RE GOING TO BE JOINED BY DR.
PHOM TODAY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT 
ON THE PEDIATRIC SIDE OF THIS OF
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND TO TRY AND MAKE A RENEWED, I
GUESS, FOR ME, AN APPEAL TO 
MINNESOTANS.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE THINGS WE
CAN DO AREN'T NECESSARILY IN 
SHELTER AT HOME OR THINGS THAT 
ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
THEY'RE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THEY'RE HAND WASHING AND THEY'RE
MASKING.
AND DR.
BIRX AND AGAIN COMMISSIONER 
MALCOLM WILL GET INTO MORE 
DETAIL ON
THIS, REALLY TRYING TO 
UNDERSTAND THAT ESPECIALLY THE 
TWIN CITIES
AREA, HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A 
CONUNDRUM FOR THE EXPERTS AS 
THEY'VE LOOKED AT THIS.
IT LOOKED EARLY ON THAT THE TWIN
CITIES WAS GOING TO GO MUCH THE 
WAY OTHER LARGE CITIES WENT, 
DETROIT AND OTHERS.
BUT WE NEVER DID.
WE NEVER SPIKED OUT THE TOP.
BUT WE ALSO NEVER DROPPED BACK 
DOWN.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I 
THINK -- AND I'LL --
THE COMMISSIONER CAN GET INTO 
THE DETAILS ON THIS, BUT IN THE 
MEETING I HAD WITH DR.
BIRX, SHE'S JUST CONCERNED THAT 
THOSE VERY SIMPLE AND THEY
SEEM SO INNOCENT, THE BACKYARD
MEETINGS, THE BARBECUES, 
FAMILIES MIXING TOGETHER, NOT
IN THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY, IS 
DRIVING A LOT OF WHAT'S 
HAPPENING HERE.
AND, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE 
PAIN OF THIS.
THIS IS THE BASIC SOCIAL THINGS 
THAT MAKE SUMMER SO FUN,
TALKING OVER THE FENCE OR 
SITTING AROUND THAT FIRE PIT 
MAKING SENATORS.
BUT THAT'S EXACTLY THE TIME TYPE
OF
THING WE'RE SEEING THAT IS 
HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE SPREAD.
AS WE GO INTO LABOR DAY, WE WANT
TO RESET WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE DID A LOT OF THESE EARLY ON.
IT'S MY INTENTION FOR US TO 
CONTINUE TO PUT OUT INFORMATION.
I AM NOT NAIVE.
I KNOW THE SIX MONTHS HAVE 
REALLY CHALLENGED US AS A 
NATION.
WE HAVE NOT RESPONDED WELL IN 
COMPARISON TO OTHER NATIONS.
AND WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THIS 
THING YET.
BUT THERE ARE SOME PROVEN THINGS
THAT WE CAN DO THAT CAN MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE.
WE HAVE NOT TIPPED OVER THAT.
WE ARE RUNNING AT A RATE LOWER 
THAN ABOUT ANY
STATE IN THE UPPER MIDWEST AND 
IT'S OUR INTENTION TO TRY AND
KEEP IT THERE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S 
NOT GOING TO BE ANY MANDATE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ANYTHING WE
NECESSARILY SAY.
IT'S GOING TO BE BEHAVIOR 
CHANGES BY MINNESOTANS THAT GET 
A CRIMP ON THIS.
SO WITH THAT, JAN'S GOING TO 
COME
UP AND RUN THROUGH A BIT OF THE 
POWERPOINT ON THIS, JUST SOME OF
THE THINGS
WE'VE ALREADY DONE IN THE 
RESPONSES TO IT FROM THE TESTING
PROGRAM, AND I WANT
TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO THE 
MAYO CLINIC, TO THE UNIVERSITY 
OF
MINNESOTA, TWO GREAT 
ORGANIZATIONS, WE'RE CONTINUING 
TO EVOLVE ON HOW WE VIEW 
TESTING.
OUR SALIVA LAB WILL BE UP AND 
RUNNING BEFORE TOO LONG.
WE'RE DOWN IN MANKATO DOING FREE
COMMUNITY TESTING.
AND I KNOW THIS IS EVEN 
SOMETHING LIKE TESTING, TRACING,
AND ISOLATION HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT 
CONTROVERSIAL.
LET'S JUST BE VERY CLEAVER.
TESTING IS A KEY TO GETTING OUT 
OF THIS, TESTING IS ONE OF THE 
KEYS.
MINNESOTA IS NOT TURNING OUR 
BAKST ON THAT.
IN FACT WE'RE INCREASING OUR 
CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
C.A.R.E.S.
ACT MONEY MAKING SURE THOSE MOST
VULNERABLE ARE PROTECTED.
THE MASK MANDATE, AGAIN, I JUST
WOULD ENCOURAGE MINNESOTANS, WE 
REALLY DO HAVE THIS SENSE OF 
THAT WE CARE ABOUT OUR 
NEIGHBORS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE MASK 
THING IS ABOUT.
JUST DO IT.
DO IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
AND WE GET THROUGH THIS THING, 
AND IF YOU NEVER WANT
TO WEAR ONE AGAIN, THAT'S MY 
HOPE THAT MAYBE THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO 
DO BECAUSE WE'LL GET THROUGH 
THIS THING, MOVE TO THE OTHER 
SIDE OF IT.
AND THEN OF COURSE SOME OF THE 
OTHER FUNDING THAT WE'VE WORKED 
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE 
LEGISLATURE.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO LET 
COMMISSIONER MALCOLM COME UP.
I PREFACE THIS WITH, WE'RE AT A 
TIPPING
POINT, A POTENTIAL TIPPING 
POINT, BUT WE STILL
POSSESS THE CAPACITY TO PUSH 
BACK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND
I DO BELIEVE THIS LABOR DAY 
WEEKEND COULD REALLY HAVE A BIG 
IMPACT ON THAT.
AND JAN WILL UPDATE US.
AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE FOLKS
TAKE THE TIME.
≫ THANK YOU, GOVERNOR.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MINNESOTA.
IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU 
VISUALLY AGAIN TODAY.
I APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR'S 
SETUP FOR THIS.
I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB, 
GOVERNOR, AS ALWAYS.
REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF 
WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH 
TOGETHER AS MINNESOTANS.
I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU JUST A 
BRIEF CURRENT UPDATE ON OUR 
SITUATION.
WE, AS THE GOVERNOR SAID, ARE 
JUST
APPROACHING 80,000 TOTAL 
CUMULATIVE LABORATORY-CONFIRMED 
CASES IN MINNESOTA.
TODAY'S EXACT NUMBER IS 78,123.
THAT'S UP 1,047 CASES FROM THE 
REPORT YESTERDAY.
ON A TESTING VOLUME OF JUST 
UNDER 14,000 TESTS PROCESSED.
I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT OF
THOSE 1,047 TOTAL, 264 OF THOSE 
POSITIVE
CASES THAT WE'RE REPORTING TODAY
WERE ACTUALLY PART OF
THAT VERY LARGE BACKLOG OF 
TESTING THAT WE RECEIVED FROM 
LABORATORIES A COUPLE OF DAYS 
AGO AND REPORTED YESTERDAY.
SO JUST FOR
APPLES TO APPLES
COMPARISONS, WITHOUT THOSE 
POSITIVE
IN THE BACKLOG, TODAY'S NEW TEST
TOTAL WOULD HAVE BEEN 783.
BUT STILL THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT 
INCREASE.
AS THE GOVERNOR SAID, WE HAVE 
BEEN KIND OF
WALKING ALONG THE EDGE OF A HIGH
PLATEAU OR A HIGH
MESA FOR QUITE SOME TIME, 
FRANKLY SINCE EARLY JULY WHEN WE
STARTED SEEING CASES RISE AGAIN.
THERE ARE 272 PATIENTS
CURRENTLY IN THE HOSPITAL, A NET
DECREASE OF 25 FROM THE PRIOR 
DAY.
138 OF THOSE ARE IN INTENSIVE 
CARE, A NET INCREASE OF 3.
I'M ALSO VERY SORRY TO REPORT 
THE DEATHS OF 7 MORE 
MINNESOTANS.
MEANING THAT A TOTAL OF
1,837, AS THE GOVERNOR SAID, OF 
OUR FAMILY MEMBERS,
OUR FRIENDS, OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR
NEIGHBORS, HAVE DIED FROM 
COVID-19 DISEASE.
THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED THE VISIT
THAT WE HAD LAST WEEKEND FROM 
DR. DEBRA BIRX.
SHE IS THE COORDINATOR AND THE 
SENIOR ADVISOR TO
THE WHITE HOUSE COVID ADVISORY 
GROUP WHICH IS CHAIRED AS YOU 
KNOW BY VICE PRESIDENT PENCE.
AND AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING SEVERAL
TIMES THIS WEEK,
SHE MADE SOME VERY STRONG 
STATEMENTS TO US ABOUT HER 
SPECIFIC CONCERNS FOR MINNESOTA,
AS THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID.
GIVEN THAT WE'VE BEEN AT THIS 
HIGH LEVEL OF CASES FOR SOME 
TIME NOW.
AND A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THOSE 
CASES ARE
COMING FROM WHAT IS KNOWN AS 
COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OF 
UNKNOWN
OREIN, MEAN -- OREIN, MEANING 
THAT PEOPLE
ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, 
THEY'RE DOING MULTIPLE THINGS,
THEY DON'T HAVE A CLEAR IDEA 
THAT THEY GOT IT FROM ANY
ONE GIVEN PERSON, BUT THEY WERE 
IN A PLACE WHERE THERE WERE 
KNOWN CASES POSITIVE.
AND DR.
BIRX'S POINT WAS, AS THE 
GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY SAID, WE 
ARE
STARTING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE 
OTHER STATES HAVE LOOKED BEFORE
THEY REACHED THAT TIPPING POINT,
AND SHE HAS
SEEN WHAT'S HAPPENED IN SOME OF 
THOSE STATES WHERE
VIGILANCE WAS NOT -- WAS NOT 
PRACTICED, AND SHE REALLY
WANTED US TO BE AWARE THAT WE 
ARE IN A VERY SIMILAR-LOOKING 
PLACE TO WHAT SOME OF THOSE 
OTHER STATES WERE.
I JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU.
THIS IS -- SHOULD BE PROJECTING 
FOR YOU,
THE UP DEEM LOGIC CURVE OF -- 
EPIDEMIOLOGIC CURVE OF THIS 
EPIDEMIC OVER TIME.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT REALLY 
CLEARLY VISUALLY.
AND WE POST THIS ON THE HEALTH 
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE EVERY DAY.
WE UPDATE IT DAILY AND WEEKLY.
AND YOU CAN JUST SEE REALLY 
CLEARLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH
THE RAPID INCREASE IN CASES BACK
IN THE LATE
WINTER, EARLY SPRING, THEN AN 
ENCOURAGING
DOWNTURN IN THE CASES IN THE 
FIRST 3/4 OF JUNE OR SO.
BUT THAT RESPITE DIDN'T LAST AS 
LONG AS WE WOULD HOPE.
AND THAT'S A CONCERN FOR US THAT
WE DIDN'T SEE THAT SUSTAINED
DECLINE DURING THE WARM WEATHER 
MONTHS WHEN WE MIGHT HAVE 
EXPECTED THAT DECLINE TO HOLD.
BUT INSTEAD WE STARTED TO SEE 
CASES GO BACK
UP AND YOU CAN SEE NOW WE'RE 
APPROACH EGG THE SAME LEVEL OF
CASES WE WERE AT IN THE LATE 
WINTER, EARLY SPRING MONTHS.
NOW IT NEEDS TO BE SAID THAT 
WE'RE TESTING A WHOLE LOT
MORE PEOPLE THAN WE WERE BACK 
THEN, BUT THE NATURE OF THE 
TRANSMISSION IS VERY DIFFERENT.
BACK IN THOSE EARLY -- EARLY 
SPRING WEEKS, WE
KNEW THAT A LOT OF THE CASES 
WERE COMING FROM SPECIFIC
SETTINGS, SPECIFIC OUTBREAKS, IN
LONG-TERM CARE, IN FOOD 
PROCESSING
PLANTS, THAT CERTAINLY DID SPILL
INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE
ORIGIN OF SOME OF THOSE CASES
WAS REALLY ABLE TO BE PINNED 
DOWN MORE TO SPECIFIC SITES.
NOT SO WITH THIS LATEST WAVE, 
THAT THIS IS WHAT -- THIS
IS HAPPENING WITH A VARIETY OF 
OUTBREAKS ALL OVER THE
STATE OF ALL DIFFERENT TYPES, 
AND AS THE GOVERNOR'S ALREADY
MENTIONS, AND MY COLLEAGUE, KRIS
EHRESMANN WILL SAY A LITTLE
MORE ABOUT THIS, A LOT OF THESE 
CASES ARE
COMING FROM JUST A INDICATER OF 
SOCIAL GATHERINGS, INFORMAL
GATHERINGS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC 
GATHERINGS AND THAT WAS 
SOMETHING ELSE THAT DR.
BIRX REALLY WAS NOTING THAT THIS
DOES SEEM TO
BE A LOT OF SORT PRIVATE 
ASSOCIATE ACTIVITY THAT IS -- 
SOCIAL ACTIVITY THAT IS FUELING 
OUR NUMBERS HERE.
SO DR.
BIRX SOMEWHAT SAYING I'M REALLY 
CONCERNED THAT YOU COULD BE 
REACHING THAT TIPPING POINT AND 
WE
KNOW WITH THE COMING OF FALL, 
WITH THE COMING OF SCHOOLS
OPENING, BOTH K-12, HIGHER 
EDUCATION,
COLDER WEATHER THAT'S GOING TO 
DRIVE PEOPLE
INSIDE, WE'RE ENTERING THAT 
SEASON IN A MUCH HIGHER PLACE 
THAN WE HAD HOPED TO BE.
AND AS THE GOVERNOR SAID,
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT, AND
PROUD OF THE FACT ACTUALLY THAT 
WE'VE KEPT THIS PANDEMIC UNDER 
PRETTY GOOD CONTROL.
EVEN THOUGH WE'VE SEEN RATES OF 
INCREASE IN OUR CASES,
WE'VE NOT YET REACHED THAT 
TIPPING
POINT, AND THAT'S OUR FERVENT 
HOPE THAT BY
KIND OF REDOUBLING OUR 
COMMITMENT TO DOING THE THINGS 
WE KNOW WORK, WE CAN AVOID 
REACHING THAT TIPPING POINT.
I WILL JUST SHOW YOU NEXT.
THESE ARE THREE PICTURES.
THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS IOWA.
THE MIDDLE ONE IS TEXAS.
THE ONE ON THE FAR RIGHT IS 
MINNESOTA.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE, THAT THAT
TIPPING POINT PHENOMENON THAT 
DR. BIRX MENTIONED.
AND WE SEE THIS VERY SIMILAR 
PATTERN
IN IOWA, NORTH AND
SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN'S A 
LITTLE MORE LIKE US, STARTING TO
EDGE UP A LITTLE BIT NOW.
TEXAS, WE ALL SAW THE DRAMATIC 
PICTURES FROM TEXAS
AND ARIZONA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, 
WHERE THEY WERE
ALSO AS YOU NOTE IN A PRETTY 
STABLE
LOOKING PATTERN UNTIL THEY 
STARTED TO
ACCELERATE AND THEN HIT WHAT IS 
KNOWN IN
THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC
CIRCLE AS LOGARITHMIC SPREAD AND
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO 
AVOID.
BUT JUST BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN 
STABLE FOR A WHILE, TO DR.
BIRX'S POINT, DOESN'T MEAN WE 
COULDN'T TIP OVER LIKE SOME OF 
THOSE OTHER STATES ARE DOING.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE -- WE CELEBRATE 
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FEWER 
PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL.
OUR MORTALITY RATES HAVE 
IMPROVED.
THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE SEEN IN 
LONG-TERM CARE ARE NOTABLE AND 
DR.
BIRX MADE A REAL POINT OF THAT, 
SAYING YOU HAVE REALLY DONE
SOME AMAZING WORK IN PROTECTING 
RESIDENTS AND STAFF
IN VERY CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS
AND SHE CALLED THAT
OUT AS A NOTABLE IMPROVEMENT IN 
OUR DATA THAT SHE'S BEEN 
WATCHING VERY CLOSELY.
AND WAS COMPLIMENTARY OF THAT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST MENTION A 
LITTLE BIT.
THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, AS THE 
GOVERNOR SAID.
WE'RE HEADING INTO LABOR DAY AT 
THIS HIGH, HIGH LEVEL HERE.
AND WE KNOW THAT HOLIDAY TIMES 
WITH LOTS OF
GATHERINGS CAN BE -- CAN FURTHER
FUEL THE EPIDEMIC.
WE DID SEE THAT, FRANKLY, AFTER 
THE 4TH OF
JULY, WHEN THERE WERE 
CELEBRATIONS, LARGE GATHERINGS, 
AND WE SAW AN UPTICK IN CASES 
THAT FOLLOWED THAT.
BUT BACK IN JULY, OUR AVERAGE 
DAILY CASE GROWTH OVER A WEEK 
PERIOD WAS 482.
NOW IT IS 732.
THE PERCENT OF OUR TESTS THAT 
WERE POSITIVE WAS 4.3% HEADING 
INTO JULY 4TH.
IT IS NOW 5.
5%, ACCORDING TO SOME OF OUR 
LATEST DATA
OF WHAT'S COMING IN THE LAG 
PERIOD, SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT 
NUMBER THAN YOU SEE ON OUR 
WEBSITE.
BUT OUR BEST GUESS, MOST RECENT 
DATA, IS 5.5% POSITIVE.
PERCENT OF COMMUNITY SPREAD, SO 
PERCENT OF THE CASES
THAT ARE COMING FROM SORT OF 
UNKNOWN
ORIGIN BECAUSE OF THE WIDESPREAD
NATURE OF THE VIRUS IN OUR 
COMMUNITIES WAS 27.8% BACK ON 
JULY 1S.
IT IS 33.5% NOW.
SO MY POINT HERE BEING, WE'RE IN
A MORE PRECARIOUS
SITUATION TODAY THAN WE WERE 
HEADING INTO THE LAST MAJOR 
HOLIDAY
WEEKEND, AND WE JUST WANT 
MINNESOTANS TO BE AWARE THAT 
THERE IS RISK IN THIS SITUATION.
THE VIRUS IS ALL OVER THE STATE.
THE OUTBREAKS ARE HAPPENING ALL 
OVER THE STATE.
AND WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE 
VIGILANT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOTABLE THAT -- 
AND I
THINK KRIS MAY MENTION MORE 
ABOUT THIS
TOO -- THAT IT APPEARS FROM OUR 
RECENT DATA AND FROM THE
REPORTS THAT WE'RE GETTING OF
OUTBREAKS AT WEDDINGS AND 
PARTIES AND
UNFORTUNATELY, FUNERALS AND 
OTHER TYPES OF SOCIAL GATHERINGS
AND AN IMPORTANT MILESTONES IN 
PEOPLE'S
LIVES, THESE KINDS OF GATHERINGS
ARE PROVING TO
BE AS MUCH OR ACTUALLY MORE OF A
CHALLENGE THAN SOME OF THE 
GATHERINGS THAT WE DO IN MORE 
PUBLIC SPACES.
THE PLACES WE MOST COMMONLY
FREQUENT, GROCERY STORES,
RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS, GAS 
STATIONS, IN THOSE
SETTINGS, PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY 
PRETTY COMPLIANT WITH MASKING 
AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.
BUT SOMEHOW IN THE MORE PRIVATE
GATHERINGS, WE SEEM TO BE IN THE
MIND OF,
IF IT'S OUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS,
THERE'S SOMEHOW LESS RISK, AND 
WE JUST NEED MINNESOTANS TO KNOW
THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.
EVEN IF WE'RE OUTDOORS, IF WE'RE
CLOSE TOGETHER
FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITHOUT
MASKING, WE SEE TRANSMISSION 
HAPPENING.
SO IT'S SO KEY TO MAINTAIN THOSE
THREE PILLARS THAT DR. BIRX 
TALKED.
IMPORTANT TO AVOID LARGE, CLOSE 
CROWDS.
IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL 
DISTANCING AND IMPORTANT TO WEAR
A MASK.
PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU CAN'T 
MAINTAIN THAT SOCIAL DISTANCE.
AND WE NEED ALL THESE OF THOSE 
THINGS TO HAPPEN.
THEY'RE LIKE LAYERS OF 
PROTECTION.
IT'S NOT ONE ALONE THAT'S THE 
MAGIC PROTECTION.
IT'S THE LAYERING OF THOSE 
THINGS.
AND AGAIN, DR.
BIRX REINFORCED THE VERY 
MESSAGES THAT YOU'VE BEEN 
HEARING FROM THE
GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, 
KRIS, AND MYSELF AND OTHERS FOR 
SO LONG NOW.
BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE 
IT JUST SEEMS AS THOUGH
IT'S NOT QUITE GETTING THROUGH 
THAT THOSE -- THOSE
PIECES OF ADVICE AND GUIDANCES 
ARE AS
IMPORTANT IN PRIVATE SETTINGS AS
THEY ARE IN PUBLIC.
THEY ARE AS IMPORTANT OUTDOORS 
AS THEY ARE INDOORS.
SO THIS LABOR DAY IS SETTING UP 
TO REALLY BE A CRITICAL TIME.
FOR US TO NOT FOLLOW THE PATTERN
THAT WE SEE IN IOWA AND TEXAS.
AND AS THE GOVERNOR'S ALREADY 
SAID, IN MARCH WHEN WE FIRST
TALKED ABOUT AND TRIED TO 
EXPLAIN THE
NEED FOR THESE STRONG COMMUNITY 
MITIGATIONS -- WAS ABOUT BUYING 
TIME.
BUYING TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 
THE VIRUS, TO PREPARE OUR 
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TO BE
ABLE TO DEAL WITH MORE CASES OF 
SEVERE ILLNESS AS THE VIRUS 
SPREAD.
NOW WE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE 
VIRUS.
NOW WE KNOW IT'S NOT ONLY 
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND MORTALITY 
THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED.
IT'S VERY LONG-TERM HEALTH 
CONSEQUENCES
AND SEVERE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES 
THAT COME FROM COURSES OF THIS 
DISEASE THAT DON'T EVEN END IN 
HOSPITALZATION.
WE KNOW NOW ABOUT ASYMPTOMATIC
SPREAD, HOW EASY IT CAN BE FOR 
SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW 
THAT
THEY'RE INFECTED TO UNE 
UNWITTINGLY INFECT LOVED
ONES OR TO BRING THE VIRUS INTO 
SETTINGS LIKE LONG-TERM CARE, 
SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS.
WORKPLACES.
SO THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT 
AVOIDING INDIVIDUAL ILLNESS AT 
ALL.
IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING OUR LOVED 
ONE, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND 
FRANKLY, OUR ECONOMY.
SO WE ARE VERY MUCH GRATEFUL FOR
EVERYTHING THAT
MINNESOTANS HAVE DONE AND 
SACRIFICED TO
HELP US MANAGE THE PANDEMIC AS 
WELL AS WE HAVE TO THIS POINT.
BUT WE JUST NEED YOU TO KNOW HOW
CRITICAL IT IS THAT
WE KEEP THAT UP AND MORE THAN 
KEEP IT UP, THAT WE REALLY 
REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS ALL ACROSS 
THE STATE.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO 
TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE
WITH GREAT GRATITUDE FOR HER 
WORK AND HER COLLEAGUES, KRIS 
EHRESMANN.
≫ THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
AGAIN, I'M KRIS EHRESMANN.
I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR INFECTIOUS 
DISEASE TOE DEPARTMENT OF 
HEALTH.
AS COMMISSIONER HOUSE FILE SAID,
WE ARE SEEING A CONCERNING 
NUMBER
OF -- AS COMMISSIONER MALCOLM 
SAID WE ARE SEEING A CONCERNING 
NUMBER OF OUTBREAKS AT PRIVATE 
GATHERINGS.
OUR PROPORTION OF CASES 
IDENTIFYING UNKNOWN COMMUNITY 
TRANSMISSION IS OVER 30%.
AND I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU A 
LITTLE BIT MORE -- TELL
YOU SOME STORIES ABOUT THESE 
OUTBREAK SITUATIONS THAT WE'RE 
SEEING.
BUT LET ME FIRST SAY THAT WHEN 
WE TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
CASES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH 
OUTBREAKS, THAT WE ONLY KNOW 
ABOUT THE CASES WHEN INDIVIDUALS
ARE TESTED.
AND WE KNOW -- ONLY KNOW ABOUT 
OUTBREAKS WHEN PEOPLE TELL US 
ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES.
SO THE INFORMATION THAT WE SHARE
IS NOT A COMPLETE PICTURE
OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MINNESOTA
OR A PARTICULAR COUNTY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE KNOW THAT EACH 
CASE RESULTS IN MORE CASES.
AND WE DO NOT COUNT WHAT WE 
REFER TO AS SECONDARY CASES AS 
PART OF OUTBREAK TOTALS.
SO WE ONLY ARE COUNTING THE 
DIRECTLY LINKED CASES.
THAT IS THE PERSON THAT ACTUALLY
ATTENDED THE EVENT.
SO THE DATA WE HAVE PROVIDE US 
WITH A PICTURE
OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE 
STATE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY
UNDERESTIMATES THE TRUE IMPACT 
OF COVID ON THOSE GATHERINGS.
TO ILLUSTRATE THIS POINT, I'D 
LIKE TO DESCRIBE A COUPLE OF 
OUTBREAKS THAT WE'VE RECENTLY 
SEEN.
ONE OUTBREAK INVOLVED A WEDDING 
RECEPTION IN SOUTHWESTERN
MINNESOTA, WHICH EXCEEDED THE 
EXECUTIVE ORDER GUIDELINES
FOR CAPACITY AS WELL AS SOCIAL 
DISTANCING WITH 275 GUESTS IN 
ATTENDANCE.
AND GUESTS DID NOT WEAR MASKS.
WE NOW HAVE 56 CASES ASSOCIATED 
WITH THIS WEDDING.
AND THERE ARE 9 COUNTIES 
INVOLVED.
SOME OF THESE CASES ARE
EDUCATORS, LONG-TERM CARE 
WORKERS, AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE EVEN MORE
CASES
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT AS 
WE'RE HEARING THAT PEOPLE ARE 
NOT
BEING TESTED TO AVOID DRIVING 
NUMBERS UP.
OF COURSE BY FAILING TO 
ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM, YOU DON'T
MAKE THAT PROBLEM GO AWAY.
YOU JUST MAKE IT WORSE.
PEOPLE WHO DON'T GET TESTED FOR 
COVID
BECAUSE THEY'RE FEARFUL OF THE 
IMPACT FOR
THEMSELVES OR THEIR SCHOOL OR 
THEIR COMMUNITY IN REALITY ARE 
MAKING THE PROBLEM WORSE.
ALLOWING THE VIRUS TO SPREAD 
UNDETECTED IN
THEIR COMMUNITY, WHICH PROLONGS 
THE OUTBREAK AND ROLLS THE DICE 
WITH LIVES OF PEOPLE AROUND 
THEM.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY 
TRANSMISSION CAUSING PROBLEMS 
INVOLVES THE STURGIS EVENT.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST 
IN THE NUMBER OF CASES WHO 
INDICATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN TO 
STURGIS.
WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 50 CASES 
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
RALLY, INCLUDING UNFORTUNATELY, 
ONE DEATH.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE ALSO FOLLOWED 
UP ON A
CLUSTER OF CASES ASSOCIATED WITH
A
WEDDING ATTENDED BY A PERSON WHO
HAD RECENTLY ATTENDED STURGIS.
THE DECISION TO ATTEND A HIGH 
RISK EVENT AND THEN
NOT SELF-QUARANTINE UPON RETURN 
RESULTED IN OTHERS GETTING SICK.
THE COMMON THREAD RUNNING 
THROUGH THESE EXAMPLES THAT
DURING A PANDEMIC ONE PERSON'S 
ACTIONS AND DECISIONS DON'T JUST
AFFECT THEMSELVES.
THEY AFFECT THOSE AROUND THEM, 
AT WORK, AT HOME, AND EVERYWHERE
ELSE THEY GO.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND 
THAT THEIR RISK
TOLERANCE OR CONFIDENCE IN THEIR
OWN ABILITY
TO SHRUG OFF COVID DOESN'T MEAN 
THAT THEY CAN'T PASS IT ALONG TO
OTHERS WHO CAN GET SERIOUSLY ILL
OR EVEN DIE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NONE OF 
US ARE AN ISLAND.
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION IS THE
IDEA THAT ALL PEOPLE
ARE SIX OR FEWER SOCIAL 
CONNECTIONS AWAY FROM EACH 
OTHER.
AT M.D.H.
, WE SEE THOSE CONNECTIONS IN 
THE MOVEMENT OF COVID ACROSS THE
STATE.
PLEASE DO YOUR PART.
TO BREAK THESE CHAINS OF 
TRANSMISSION.
THANK YOU.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN 
IT OVER TO DR. PHOM.
≫ HELLO, THANK YOU FOR INVITING,
ME, GOVERNOR.
MY NAING IS DR. CUONG PHOM.
I'M A PHYSICIAN AT M-HEALTH 
FAIRVIEW, A SUNSET PROFESSOR AT 
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 
MEDICAL SCHOOL.
I WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY 
HOSPITAL
AND COMMUNITY CENTER IN 
MINNEAPOLIS.
I'M BOTH AN INTERNAL MEDICINE 
AND A PEDIATRIC
DOCTOR SO I GET TO SEE PEOPLE OF
ALL AGES WHICH IS A PRIVILEGE OF
MINE.
THOSE OF DIFFERENT COLORS, 
BACKGROUNDS.
THEY'RE FROM ALL OVER MINNESOTA.
SOME OF THEM ARE FROM RED LAKE, 
FROM CANNON FALLS.
SOME ARE UNSHELTERED.
SOME WORK IN GROCERY STORES.
SOME ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
BUT MOST OF MY VISITS ARE 
THROUGH VIDEO OR THROUGH PHONE 
CALLS.
OCCASIONALLY THEY'RE IN PERSON.
OF COURSE WHEN I'M DOING THAT, 
I'M WEARING A MASK.
SO LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I MISS 
SEEING PEOPLE'S
FACES, THEIR SMILES, BUT THE SAD
FACTS ARE AS EVERYONE
MENTIONED, COVID CONTINUES TO 
SPREAD IN OUR
COMMUNITIES, NO MATTER WHO YOU 
ARE, THAT BLACK
COMMUNITY, THE INDIGENOUS 
COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITIES OF 
COLOR ARE SUFFERING AND
DYING AT HIGHER RATES BECAUSE OF
THEIR ACCESS TO CARE AND TESTS.
OUR ELDERS ARE STUCK IN 
ISOLATION.
OUR CHILDREN ARE STILL GETTING
SICK FROM MULTISYSTEM 
INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME.
I'VE HAD PATIENTS WHO STILL 
SUFFER FROM THOSE CONSEQUENCES 
TODAY.
WE STILL HAVE NO CURE AND NO 
VACCINE.
NO VACCINE.
BUT THE POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE I 
STILL
GET TO SMILE UNDER MY MASK WHEN
I SEE OTHER PEOPLE ARE WEARING 
THEIR
MASKS.
IT IS FORTUNATE THAT OUR 
HOSPITALS AND OUR CLINICS HAVE 
BEEN
ABLE TO STAY UNDER A MAX 
CAPACITY DURING THIS PERIOD OF 
TIME.
AND SAVE LIVES FOR ALL THE 
MEASURES WE'VE DONE RECENTLY.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE MINNESOTA 
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS HAVE WORKED 
HARD TO CHANGE AND BE INNOVATIVE
TO CONTAIN COVID-19.
FOR THESE REASONS I'M REALLY 
PROUD TO BE MINNESOTAN.
BUT I THINK AS WE APPROACH THE 
FALL INTO WINTER, AS
OUR KIDS RETURN TO SCHOOL, OUR 
FUTURE GENERATION GOES
BACK TO COLLEGE, I AM CONCERNED 
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HIT A NEW 
PEAK.
AND THAT BECAUSE OUR DESIRE TO 
BE NORMAL AGAIN.
SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE 
LISTEN TO YOUR COMMUNITY 
LEADERS.
TALK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE 
PROVIDERS.
GO TO THE M.D.H. WEBSITE.
AND KIND OF STAY AWAY FROM ALL 
THE MYTHS THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON 
SOCIAL MEDIA.
STICK TO THE TRUTH INSTEAD.
CONTINUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE.
AVOID LARGE CROWDS.
WEAR A MASK AT ALL
TIMES WHEN THEY'RE COVERING YOUR
NOSE, YOUR MOUTH.
THERE ARE REALLY COOL DESIGNS.
I HAVE SEVERAL MASKS ON ME RIGHT
NOW IN MY POCKET.
GET TESTED WHEN YOU NEED TO.
IT'S FREE.
SOME OF THE TESTING NOWADAYS, 
YOU CAN SELF-SWAB.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SWAWB IN YOUR 
THROAT.
GET A VACCINE, GET YOUR FLU 
SHOT.
WE KNOW THAT WORKS.
AND OUTSIDE IS BETTER THAN 
INSIDE.
GO CAMPING, GO BIKING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO 
TOWARD THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
SO LET'S KEEP SHOWING THE NATION
AS MINNESOTANS THAT WE CAN STILL
HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO KEEPING 
MINNESOTA SAFE.
AND WE GOT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 
FLANAGAN.
[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]
≫ THANK YOU, DR. PHOM.
I, TOO, HAVE A EXTENSIVE MASK 
COLLECTION, AND
IT'S ONE BRIGHT SIDE, RIGHT, OF 
ALL OF THIS HERE.
SO LABOR DAY WEEKEND IS UPON US,
AND IT'S THE
UNOFFICIAL GOOD-BYE TO MINNESOTA
SUMMER AS WE TRANSITION INTO THE
CHILLIER, OFTEN BUSIER DAYS OF 
FALL.
AND ANY OTHER YEAR, AS THE 
GOVERNOR SAID, YOU WOULD SEE ME 
AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR 
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
BUT THIS ISN'T JUST ANY YEAR.
OVERALL, AS WE'VE HEARD, 
MINNESOTANS HAVE DONE A PRETTY 
GOOD JOB
OF MASKING UP, STAYING SIX FEET 
APART, AND STAYING HOME WHEN 
THEY'RE SICK.
BUT SIX MONTHS IN, YOU KNOW, 
HERE WE ARE.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE DOING THESE 
THINGS.
EVEN, AND ESPECIALLY, WHEN WE 
ARE AROUND OUR FRIENDS AND 
FAMILY.
AND AS WE HAVE SEEN, WE HAVE 
STARTED TO SEE TROUBLING
SIGNS OF INCREASED ENFEKS IS A 
-- INFECTIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND AS MENTIONED, WE ARE SEEING 
MANY OF THOSE CASES TIED TO 
PRIVATE GATHERINGS.
I KNOW IT IS INCREDIBLY 
DIFFICULT NOT TO HUG YOUR PARENT
OR YOUR GRANDPARENT.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE 
SAME HOUSEHOLD.
AND IT CAN BE AWKWARD TO ASK 
YOUR FRIENDS TO WEAR MASKS WHEN 
YOU'RE SPENDING TIME TOGETHER.
AND IT'S A HASSLE TO KEEP 
SANITIZING YOUR HANDS IF YOU'RE 
AT A NEIGHBOR'S BARBECUE.
BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE OVER THE
PANDEMIC, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S 
OVER YOU.
AND AS IT GROWS COLDER AND WE 
APPROACH FLU
SEASON, IT IS CRITICALLY 
IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE ALL THE
PRECAUTIONS WE CAN NOW TO 
PREVENT AND -- THE SPREAD OF 
COVID-19.
THAT INCLUDES, AGAIN, MASK 
WEARING, SOCIAL
DISTANCING, WASHING YOUR HANDS, 
AND PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, GET 
YOUR FLU SHOT.
AND I KNOW, ALL OF THIS IS SO 
HARD.
AND AS THE GOVERNOR
MENTIONED, WE HAD THOSE DREAMS 
OF GOING TO THE FAIR.
OF GOING TO SPORTING EVENTS IN 
THE FALL.
OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BEING 
ABLE TO
ATTEND SCHOOL, NOT WEARING MASKS
AND IN CLASSROOMS TOGETHER.
BUT BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC, IT
IS STILL VERY MUCH UPON US, WE 
HAVE TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
AND SO MINNESOTANS DON'T STOP 
NOW.
WE HAVE TO KEEP IT UP.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK
TO THE GOVERNOR.
≫ THANK YOU, AGAIN.
I KNOW THIS FEELS A BIT
LIKE DEJA VU, LIKE WE'RE BACK IN
APRIL AGAIN, BUT THE NUMBERS
INDICATE WE ARE BACK TO THAT 
POINT AND AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
SAID, THE VIRUS DOESN'T REALLY 
CARE THAT WE'RE TIRED OF IT.
THE VIRUS DOESN'T REALLY CARE 
THAT SOCIAL MEDIA TELLS US NOT 
TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
IT'S JUST THE FLU.
THOSE THINGS ARE NOT TRUE.
AND WE HAVE TO BASE IT ON 
SCIENCE.
WE HAVE TO BE SMART.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE DO THE 
THINGS
THAT KEEP OUR BUSINESSES OPEN, 
THAT DO GET OUR CHILDREN BACK IN
SCHOOL
AND THAT MOVE US TOWARDS THAT 
POINT WHEN WE CAN START TO THINK
ABOUT VACCINES COMING ONLINE.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I THINK THE 
NEWS SOUNDS
ENCOURAGING, BUT ENCOURAGING AND
HOPEFUL IS NOT THE SAME AS 
WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
SO WE ARE ASKING MINNESOTANS, 
GIVE A LITTLE EXTRA THOUGHT TO 
IT.
DR. PHOM IS RIGHT.
YOU CAN STILL DO THESE OUTDOOR 
THINGS.
JUST BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU'RE 
AROUND OTHERS.
WEAR THE MASK.
LET'S TRY AND GET A HANDLE ON 
THIS, AND I'VE SAID IT FROM 
NOVEMBER.
OR EXCUSE ME, FROM MARCH GOING 
FORWARD, THERE WILL BE
A DAY WHEN WE'RE ON THE OTHER 
SIDE OF THIS, BUT OUR
RESPONSIBILITY RIGHT NOW IS TO 
PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORS, TO MAKE 
SURE THAT
WE PREVENT AVOIDABLE DEATHS AND 
THAT WE
UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMISSIONER 
MALCOLM HAS BEEN SAYING FOR 
QUITE SOME TIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T 
KNOW ABOUT THIS VIRUS IS THE 
LONG-TERM
DAMAGE IT'S CAUSING BECAUSE WE 
HAVEN'T SEEN YET WHAT IT'S GOING
TO
LOOK LIKE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS 
INFECTED MONTHS AND MONTHS DOWN 
THE ROAD.
IT SOMETIMES
TAKES CELEBRITIES, P WHEN THE 
ROCK, DUANE JOHNSON GOT SICK.
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES FOR 
PEOPLE TO HEAR THIS.
SO WE GOT TO WORK TO DO, 
MINNESOTA.
WE'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY 
QUESTIONS.
TOM.
≫ GOVERNOR, LOOKING UP COLD DARK
WINTER AHEAD AND THAT'S COME TO 
BE SO.
BUT SOME OF THE NUMBERS SAY 
DIFFERENTLY.
THE NUMBER OF DEATHS ARE DOWN 
DRAMATICALLY.
HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE 
STABILIZED.
THE POSITIVITY RATE HAS GONE UP 
A LITTLE BIT.
BUT SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU'RE 
BEING UNDULY ALARMIST.
AND STANDING IN THE WAY OF 
OPENING UP MORE THE ECONOMY.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
≫ FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T WANT TO 
SHORT CHANGE THE GOOD THINGS 
WE'VE DONE.
I DO THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT 
IN SIX MONTHS.
THE ONE THING I WOULD REMIND 
FOLKS IS THAT HOSPITALS, THE WAY
WE'RE BUILT,
YOU DON'T BUILD A WHOLE BUNCH OF
HOSPITALS TO HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH 
OF EMPTY ROOMS.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE BUSINESSES 
WHERE IT'S JUST ON TIME 
DELIVERY.
THAT CRITICAL SPACE IS ALWAYS 
LIMITED AND RIGHT NOW, IT IS 
VERY, VERY SHORT.
IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH OF A SPIKE 
TO SPILL OVER.
SO, TOM, I HEAR THAT PART OF IT.
I MAY HAVE JAN RESPOND TO THIS.
THE ONE THING I CONTINUE TO KEEP
SAYING
IS, WE AS A STATE IN OUR 
ECONOMIC
ACTIVITIES, RANK IN THE TOP 
THIRD IN TERMS OF WHAT'S OPEN, 
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
STATES THAT HAVE DETERMINED AND 
SAID, AND WE SEE
THIS THROUGH RESERVATIONS AND 
PEOPLE GOING BACK TO 
RESTAURANTS, THERE
IS NO GUARANTEE JUST BECAUSE YOU
DON'T PUT ON SOME
RESTRICTIONS ON GATHERINGS THAT 
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME BACK 
ANYWAY.
THE BIGGEST FEAR YOU HAVE IS 
WHEN YOU GET A SPIKE
LIKE TEXAS THAT HAD MASSIVE 
ECONOMIC IMPACT WHEN EVERYTHING 
SHUT BACK DOWN AGAIN.
SO I THINK IT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
I THINK THE STATISTICS TELL US 
THAT WE'RE MANAGING THIS THE 
CORRECT WAY.
WE CONTINUE, AND I HAVE TO TELL 
YOU, ESPECIALLY
WITH RESTAURANTS AD BARS, THAT 
IS A DIFFICULT BUSINESS ANY 
TIME, BEFORE COVID-19.
IT'S ALSO A BUSINESS THAT 
EMPLOYS AN
AWFUL LOT OF PETE AND 
CONTRIBUTES -- PEOPLE AND 
CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO OUR 
ECONOMY.
BUT IT'S THE THINGS THAT MAKE 
LIFE SO GREAT TO GO OUT TO A 
RESTAURANT.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE FOLKS, IT'S
GOING TO BE A HARD TIME TO 
BREAK.
BUT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A 50% 
INDOOR CAPACITY, IF
WE WENT TO 100%, THERE'S PRETTY 
MUCH EVIDENCE ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY, THAT WOULDN'T HAVE A 
HUGE IMPACT.
BUT I WOULD ARGUE, AND MAYBE THE
EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND THE HEALTH 
PROFESSIONALS WOULD ARGUE, WE 
WOULD ACTUALLY SEE
SEE THIS CURVE GROW IF WE MAKE 
SOME OF THOSE MOVES.
≫ TURN THE ECONOMIC DIAL, SINCE 
I THINK
JUNE 10TH, IS THERE ANY CHANCE 
THAT THESE BARS AND RESTAURANTS 
THAT
ARE MANY MORE IN DANGER OF GOING
OUT OF
BUSINESS PERMANENTLY ARE GOING 
TO SEE ANY KIND OF AN INCREASE 
ANY TIME SOON?
≫ WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE VIRUS 
WILL DICTATE WHERE WE GO.
AND WHAT I CAN SAY IS, WE DID 
NOT TURN THE DIAL BACKWARDS.
AND I HAVE JUST HAVE TO BE 
CANDID WITH ALL OF YOU.
WE GET ON EVERY MORNING TO START
THE MORPTION AND ALL THE 
COMMISSIONERS
FROM PROCUREMENT TO EDUCATION TO
HEALTH TO HOMELESS AND FOOD 
SECURITY AND ALL THAT, GIVE 
THEIR BRIEF.
THERE'S A VERY ROBUST ARGUMENT 
BEING MADE THAT WE'RE AT A POINT
WHERE WE NEED TO START THINKING 
ABOUT SOME DECISIONS.
I MADE THE DECISION WITH THIS 
ADMINISTRATION THAT WE WOULD DO 
A MASKING MANDATE.
NOW, THOSE WHO SAID, WELL, WHEN 
YOU MADE THE MASKING MANDATE, WE
HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH CHANGE.
IT DIDN'T DROP THAT MUCH.
IF YOU GO BACK IN TIME AND LOOK 
AT WHEN WE DID IT
AND COMPARE US TO NEIGHBORING 
STATES, WHAT THE
MASKING MANDATE PROBABLY DID, 
AND I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE THE 
CLAIM
AS SOME DO, IT HAD AN IMPACT ON 
IT TO HOLDING IT DOWN.
AND I THINK RIGHT AT THIS POINT 
IN TIME, TOM, MY GOALING IS TO 
KEEP AS MUCH OPEN AS WE HAVE 
RIGHT NOW.
AND NOT TO HAVE TO TURN THE DIAL
BACKWARDS BECAUSE TO NOT DO SO 
WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, AND THIS
IS A
TRICKY ONE, BECAUSE IF YOU WAIT 
UNTIL YOU FALL OFF THE CLIFF, 
IT'S TOO LATE.
AND IF YOU PULL IT TOO SOON, YOU
PUT PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE 
NUMBERS IS A AND TRY AND MAKE 
THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
EVERYBODY IN INVOLVED IN THAT 
BUSINESS, WE HEAR YOU ON IT.
AND WE'RE -- WE ARE DOING 
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE 
WE GET PEOPLE BACK SAFELY IN 
THOSE BUSINESSES.
YES.
≫ SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT IN 
THOSE MEETINGS IN
THE CABINET OR WITH THE 
COMMISSIONERS THAT THERE'S MAYBE
MORE OF A PUSH TO TURN THE DIAL 
BACK?
AT THIS POINT WITH WHERE WE'RE 
AT?
≫ THERE IS ALWAYS THE DISCUSSION
OF PUTTING IT OUT.
AND I THINK IT'S A HEALTHY 
DISCUSSION.
ONE OF THE CRITIQUES I HEAR, AND
I SPEAK TO REPUBLICAN 
LEGISLATORS.
COMMISSIONER MALCOLM, KRIS 
EHRESMANN, AND THE TEAM, THEY
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TOLL 
ARTICULATE THE BEST PUBLIC 
HEALTH DATA AND THE BEST COURSES
OF ACTION.
SO DOES THE ECONOMICS,
STEVE GROVE AND OTHERS TO MAKE 
THE CASE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 
THE ECONOMY AND WHERE IS THE 
SPOT BETWEEN THEM.
OUR JOB IS TO TRY AND CONTINUE 
TO BALANCE PUBLIC HEALTH, 
SAFETY, AND SECURITY AND 
WELL-BEING.
WE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS VERY 
EARLY IN THIS
WHEN WE PUT UP THE POWERPOINT 
TRYING TO STRIKE THAT PROPER 
BALANCE.
SO THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE 
PANDEMIC IT'S EXPECTED IN THESE
MEETINGS FOR PEOPLE TO 
ARTICULATE WHERE THEY THINK 
THINGS ARE GOING.
OH, THE MODELING'S NOT EXACT.
NO MODEL IS EXACT.
BUT GOOD MODELS DO PREDICT 
TRENDS AND THEIR
IDEAS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO 
ARTICULATE ARE ALWAYS DEBATED.
THERE IS A DISCUSSION, JUST TO 
BE CONNED AIDE, THE C.D.C.
'S GUIDANCE IS ASKING US TO DO 
THAT, IS SAYING OR
SUGGESTING THAT WE GO BACKWARDS 
ON SOME OF THESE OPENINGS.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE BEHAVIORAL 
CHANGES, THE MASK MANDATE, AND 
MAYBE ANOTHER PUSH ON THIS CAN 
MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
AND WE CAN HOLD IT.
BUT THAT IS A DISCUSSION THAT'S 
HAPPENING.
≫ GOVERNOR, GIVEN THE CONCERN 
ABOUT THE --
[ Inaudible ]
ARE YOU CONSIDERING ANY SORT OF 
ROLL
BACK OF CAMPUS -- SPECIFICALLY 
TARGETING THOSE COMMUNITIES.
≫ WELL, WE ARE CONCERNED WITH 
THE COLLEGE TOWNS.
WE'VE SEEN IT WHETHER IT'S 
MANKATO, WINONA, AND OF COURSE 
HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL
AND OTHERS.
WHAT I BELIEVE BELIEVED FROM THE
BEGINNING AND I THINK THAT'S THE
CASE THAT
WE'VE BEEN MAKING, OF THE 
PARTNERS IN THIS ARE THESE 
ESTABLISHMENTS THEMSELVES.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE VAST 
MAJORITY OF THEM
ARE DOING EVERYTHING ACCORDING 
TO THE GUIDANCE AND WE'RE NOT 
SEEING THOSE OUTBREAKS.
WHAT WE TEND TO SEE IS A FEW 
SPHAISES THAT LEND THE LARGE 
NUMBER OF CASES.
IS THAT FAIR TO SAY, KRIS?
IN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING?
IT'S AN ISOLATED NUMBER OF CASES
THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY LEADS TO
THOSE.
THIS IS WHAT A LOT OF FOLKS ASK 
IS, AT THIS POINT IN THE 
PANDEMIC, CAN YOU BE STRATEGIC?
AND I HAVE TO BE CANDID.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WITH
THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS I PUT
IN.
I WANTED TO USE THE ENFORCEMENT 
AS A STRATEGIC MEASURE INSTEAD 
OF ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
NOW, THERE WOULD BE SOME THAT 
WOULD ARGUE, AND THIS IS
WHEN WE KNOW SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL 
PATTERNS, THE NUMBER OF BARS 
VISITED ON AN INDIVIDUAL NIGHT 
BY ONE INDIVIDUAL.
AND THAT STARTS TO BECOME A 
PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU
CAN BE IN A FACILITY THAT IS 
DOING THINGS RIGHT AND THEN 
MIGRATE TO ANOTHER ONE AND THEN 
MIGRATE BACK.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE A 
CHALLENGE.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY, WE -- EVERY
DAY, PUT EVERY OPTION ON THE 
TABLE.
THEY'RE LOOKED THROUGH.
WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT 
WILL BE.
WE TRY AND MAKE THE BEST 
INFORMED DECISION, ALWAYS WITH 
THAT HEALTH, SAFETY AND 
WELL-BEING IN PLACE.
BUT I WOULD SAY, JAN, I HOPE I'M
NOT SPEAKING
OUT OF TURN FOR YOU, YOU HAVE 
HAD FOR QUITE SOME TIME A 
CONCERN ABOUT THE COLLEGE TOWNS 
AND THE RETURN AND WHAT THE 
IMPACT MIGHT BE.
≫ WHERE ON THE DIAL WOULD SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER --
≫ YEAH.
NO -- JUST A LITTLE -- ABOUT AN 
HOUR AGO OR
SO, SENATOR GAZELKA AND I SAT 
DOWN TO HAVE A
MEETING, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, 
IT WAS REALLY MEANT TO KIND OF 
TO CLEAR THE AIR.
IT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL 60s
DAYS OUT FROM AN ELECTION THAT 
THINGS GET A LITTLE BIT HEATED.
I VERY MUCH VALUE THE 
RELATIONSHIP WITH SENATOR 
GAZELKA.
PERSONALLY AND I THINK WE SHOWED
LAST YEAR, WE PULLED OFF
SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY HARD TO 
DO, DIVIDED LEGISLATURE AND WE
GOT A TAX BILL, A BUDGET BILL, 
AND WE
MOVED SOME SIGNIFICANT 
LEGISLATION AROUND FROM
OPIOIDS TO, YOU KNOW, TO 
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY
LICENSING AND PHARMACEUTICAL 
WORK AROUND DIABETES.
AROUND INSULINS.
AND SO THAT RELATIONSHIP IS 
IMPORTANT PERSONALLY.
BUT THAT RELATIONSHIP IS MUCH 
MORE IMPORTANT TO
MINNESOTA BECAUSE OF THE CHECKS 
AND BALANCES BETWEEN THE 
LEGISLATIVE AND THE EXECUTIVE 
BRANCH.
AND IF THOSE OF YOU NOT 
FOLLOWING ALONG, IT'S BEEN A 
LITTLE HEATED HERE RECENTLY.
I THINK BOTH OF US AGREE THAT'S 
PROBABLY NOT THE BEST WAY TO GO 
ABOUT BUSINESS.
WE KIND OF A SIT DOWN TO TRY AND
TURN DOWN THE HEAT ON THAT A 
LITTLE BIT.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'LL
SET THE EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE 
GOING TO AGREE WITH EACH OTHER.
SENATOR GAZELKA DEFINITELY SEES 
OUR RESPONSE TO COVID 
DIFFERENTLY.
THANKED THAT IS A FAIR 
DISCUSSION TO MAKE AND I HAVE TO
MAKE THE CASE
AND HAVE TO HAVE THE 
RESPONSIBILITY AS GOVERNOR THAT 
I'M MAKING THE BEST INFORMED 
DECISION, BUT HE HAS EVERY RIGHT
TO MAKE THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE BOTH TALKED 
ABOUT IS WE NEED TO KEEP IT
ON A LEVEL WHERE THAT 
RELATIONSHIP MATTERS, WHERE 
WORKING TOGETHER
MATTERS FOR MINNESOTANS AND I 
THINK JUST THINK ON
IMPORTANTLILY, I DON'T TAKE ANY 
JOY OUT OF WHEN THINGS GET A 
LITTLE BIT ROUGH AND TUMBLE.
I UNDERSTAND POLITICS IS THAT 
WAY, BUT I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO 
FOCUS ON MYSELF RATHER THAN 
THAT.
SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT'S IN A 
GOOD SPACE.
≫ FOLLOW-UP ON THE EXECUTIVE 
ORDER.
DO YOU INTEND TO CONTINUE YOUR 
EMERGENCY POWERS WHEN THAT 
DECISION COMES UP NEXT WEEK?
≫ WE'RE HAVING THE DISCUSSION 
NOW AND THIS WAS KIND OF A 
PREDISCUSSION TO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF 
THINGS OUT THERE.  THERE'S AEN 
BON.
THERE'S A SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET.
WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT IT IN 
DETAIL BUT WE WILL, THERE IS THE
DISCUSSION AROUND
THE COMMISSIONERS THAT A 
GOVERNOR HAS THE RIGHT AND THE
AUTHORITY TO APPOINT AND THE 
SENATE HAS
THE RIGHT AND THE AUTHORITY TO 
EITHER CONFIRM OR NOT CONFIRM.
AND THAT WILL PROBABLY BE 
ANOTHER RATIFY DISCUSSION.
BUT I THINK WHAT THIS MEETING 
WAS WAS TO TRY AND SET
THE TONE FOR THE NEXT ONE THAT 
WILL HAPPEN AS WE THINK ABOUT 
WHAT NEXT WEEKS WILL LOOK LIKE.
≫ ANOTHER QUESTION, GOVERNOR.
IS THERE ANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU 
HAVE
COMMUNICATED THE RULES THAT WERE
SET OUTLINING
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, FOLLOWING 
THE RULES --
[ Inaudible ]
RIGHT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY --
≫ THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
JAN OR MAYBE -- I APPRECIATE 
THAT QUESTION.
I THINK I'M HERE TODAY AND WE'RE
KIND OF BACK IN THIS MODE WE 
WERE, BECAUSE I'M ASKING THAT 
SAME QUESTION.
I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, 
MINNESOTANS HAVE
VERY SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS ABOUT 
GETTING THINGS DONE.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A SUMMER 
OF STRAIN.
I'M NOT TELLING ANYBODY ANYTHING
THEY DON'T KNOW.
WE'VE SEEN CIVIL UNREST, 
UNPRECEDENTED.
WE'VE SEEN A POLITICAL CLIMATE 
THAT IS
FRACTURED EVEN MORE SO AND 
THAT'S THE QUESTION I'M
ASKING, ARE WE GETTING OUT OF 
THIS, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH OF 
PUBLICIZING THAT?
THE PROBLEM I GET RIGHT NOW IS, 
AND THIS IS WHY WE
NEED THIRD PARTY VALIDATORS, IF 
I SAY TODAY IS
THURSDAY, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT 
PORTION OF MINNESOTANS SAY NO, 
IT'S NOT, JUST BECAUSE I SAID 
IT.
AND I WORRY SOMETIMES THAT WHEN 
THESE POLITICAL
THINGS GET SO CHARGED, THAT 
THINGS THAT
SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS ON, I JUST 
ASKED JAN AND
KRIS BEFORE WE CAME IN HERE, 
WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE AND 
LIFETIME EXPERIENCE ON
THIS, DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD 
HAVE LOOKED THE SAME 10, 20 
YEARS AGO, BECAUSE I ALWAYS 
WORRY ABOUT THAT TRAP.
OH, IT'S WORSE NOW THAN IT'S 
EVER BEEN.
AND I THINK BOTH OF YOUR 
ASSESSMENTS WERE THAT IT'S WORSE
NOW.
THAT I THINK REQUIRES COMING 
BACK TO WHERE YOU'RE AT.
DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT 
WAYS TO COMMUNICATE?
THIS EARLIER QUESTION, THIS IDEA
OF MAKING -- I WANT THE 
LEGISLATURE TO BE A PARTNER IN 
THIS.
I TAKE NO JOY IN ANYTHING THAT 
HAS TO BE DONE ALONE.
I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS 
WHEN THEY'RE A PARTNER IN
IT, IT GETS BETTER BUY-IN, 
BECAUSE I THINK
MANY OF YOU OUT THERE ARE -- AND
LAST WEEK YOU ASKED THE QUESTION
ON THIS.
DR.
BIRX, THE WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR 
ON COVID, WORKING WITH THE VICE 
PRESIDENT, CAME HERE AND MADE IT
VERY CLEAR THAT WE'RE IN 
TROUBLE.
WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL 
HIGH
PROFILE PRISMS HAVE THE WHITE 
VISITS FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE WHERE NO MENTION
OF COVID WAS MADE AND THOSE
MIXED MESSAGES I THINK REALLY 
CONFUSE PEOPLE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT 
HOW TO BREAK THROUGH, HOW TO 
MAKE THE CASE.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THAT.
I THINK THIS IS LESS ABOUT 
TURNING THE DIAL AND LESS
ABOUT RESTRICTIONS TO PUT ON AND
MORE ABOUT A SOCIAL COMPACT TO 
FIX US.
I MEAN, I JUST REFUSE TO BELIEVE
THAT OTHER COUNTRIES
CAN GET THIS A LOT MORE RIGHT 
THAN WE ARE, THAT THEY HAVE 
SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T.
AND RIGHT NOW, IT'S SIMPLY THE 
WILL FOR US TO GET OVER THIS
AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YOU 
REMEMBER, SOME OF YOU
HERE, WHEN WE FIRST CAME, THE 
INFECTION RATES
PER 100,000, WE WERE ABOUT THE 
BEST IN THE NATION EARLY ON.
WE REALLY DID THAT.
AND I'M TELLING YOU, DURING THE 
SHUTDOWN, TRAFFICKING DROPPED 
DOWN TO 2%.
PEOPLE STAYED HOME.
WE HAD THIS PRETTY CRUSHED.
IT'S MY CONTENTION IS THAT HAD 
WE DONE THAT AS
A NATIONAL STRATEGY, WE'D HAVE 
GOT OUT OF THIS THING BY ABOUT 
MAY.
WE DID NOT AND NOW IT'S 
INCUMBENT UPON US TO TALK ABOUT 
WHAT IS MINNESOTA GOING TO DO, 
HOW DO WE GET TOGETHER ON THIS?
≫
[ Inaudible ]
≫ YEP, SORRY, I'LL GO QUICKLY.
≫ [ REPORTER ASKING QUESTION OFF
MIC ]
OUTDOOR WEDDING OR INDOOR 
WEDDING?
[ REPORTER ASKING QUESTION OFF 
MIC ]
≫ THANK YOU.
LET ME CLARIFY.
THAT THE WEDDING EVENT
WAS INDOORS ACTUALLY, AND SO 
THAT WAS THE CONCERN WITH 
CAPACITY.
BUT YOU RAISE AN EXCELLENT 
QUESTION, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR,
WE DID NOT GIVE THE LOCATION OF 
THE WEDDING, AND IT WAS IN 
SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.
BUT JUST TO CLARIFY THAT WE DID 
NOT GIVE THE LOCATION.
THE OTHER THING, THOUGH, THAT 
HAS BEEN A REAL
CONFUSION FOR PEOPLE IS OUTDOOR 
VERSUS INDOOR AND
WE'VE TRIED TO REINFORCE THAT
WHILE ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL 
THAT BEING OUTDOORS IS BETTER
THAN BEING INDOORS BECAUSE YOU 
HAVE BETTER AIR FLOW, YOU
HAVE MORE SPACE TO DISTANCE, AND
OFTENTIMES YOU'LL HAVE
SUNLIGHT WHICH IS POSITIVE, THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT ALL
OF THOSE THREE PILLARS OF, YOU 
KNOW, MITIGATION GO AWAY.
YOU STILL NEED TO BE SOCIALLY 
DISTANCED.
YOU STILL NEED TO BE MASKING IF 
YOU'RE NOT
WITHIN YOUR SORT OF BUBBLE OF 
RELATIONSHIPS.
AND YOU NEED TO BE MAKING SURE 
THAT YOU'RE CONTINUING
TO DO GOOD HAND WASHING AND 
AVOIDING LARGE CROWDS.
SO I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAVE 
GOTTEN THE MISTAKEN
NOTION THAT BEING OUTSIDE 
ELIMINATES RISK.
IT REDUCES RISK AS COMPARED TO 
BEING INDOORS.
BUT IT DOES NOT ELIMINATE RISK.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A REAL 
CONCERN IS,
OH, WE WERE OUTSIDE, WELL, IF 
YOU'RE ALL CLUMPED
TOGETHER, NOT MASKING, AND 
MIXING WITH
OTHER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT YOU
DON'T
NORMALLY -- AREN'T IN YOUR 
HOUSEHOLD, OR DON'T NORMALLY
INTERACT WITH, THEN YOU LOSE ANY
BENEFIT OF BEING OUTDOORS.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP
IN MIND THAT ALL
THINGS BEING EQUAL, SOCIALLY 
DISTANCED,
MASKED, NOT IN A LARGE, YOU 
KNOW, HUGE GROUP SETTING, THEN 
OUTDOORS IS MUCH BETTER.
BUT IF YOU'RE NOT MAINTAINING 
THOSE PILLARS, THEN YOU LOSE THE
BENEFITS OF BEING OUTDOORS.
AND WAS THERE -- I THINK I 
ANSWERED ALL THE ELEMENTS OF 
YOUR QUESTION.
≫
[ Inaudible ]
[ REPORTER ASKING QUESTION OFF 
MIC ]
POLITICAL PUSHBACK -- IS
IT POLITICAL PUSHBACK 
RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF
THESE OUTBREAKS IN PARTS OF THE 
STATE --
≫ YEAH, NO, AND AGAIN, I JUST --
THIS IS MY OPINION ON THIS.
THAT, YES, I THINK IT IS NOW 
BECOME A STATEMENT TO NOT DO 
CERTAIN THINGS OR NOT BELIEVE 
IT.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
I DID FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE WHAT
I'M TRYING TO
GET ACROSS OVER ON THIS IS, THIS
ISN'T ME SAYING IT.
IT'S NOT MY APPOINTEES SAYING 
IT.
THIS IS THE WHITE HOUSE ADVISORS
SAYING THAT WE SHOULD
DO THESE THINGS, AND IF IT'S 
EASIER FOR YOU
TO FOLLOW THESE THINGS BECAUSE 
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADVISOR
TOLD YOU TO DO IT, THEN THAT 
GOES TO PART OF THIS MESSAGING.
IF WE WERE UNITED IN THIS, AND I
DON'T THINK I'M BEING NAIVE ON 
THIS.
IF THE MASK ISSUE
HADN'T BECOME AN US VERSUS THEM 
TYPE OF THING, I THINK THE VAST 
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WOULD JUST DO
THAT.
IT'S NOT FUN, NOT ALL THAT 
PLEASANT.
BUT THEY WOULD JUST DO TO.
BUT NOW I STILL WORRY ABOUT -- 
AGAIN, EVERYBODY CAN HAVE THEIR 
OPINION, BUT THIS IS NOT THE 
FLU.
EVERYBODY CAN HAVE THEIR OPINION
AND SAY NO ONE'S AT RISK.
THOSE THINGS DON'T PAN OUT WITH 
WHAT THE SCIENCE FACTS SAY AND 
WHAT THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY IS 
SAYING.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, I AM SAYING 
THAT WAY BECAUSE I WANT
YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A VAST 
ARRAY OF PEOPLE INCLUDING THE
PRESIDENT'S INVOICESSORS WHO 
BELIEVE THAT WEARING A MASK, 
SOCIAL
DISTANCING AND LIMITING INDOOR 
GATHERINGS IS THE WAY THAT WE 
GET OUT OF THESE THINGS AND TURN
THIS AROUND.
≫ REPORTER ASKING QUESTION OFF 
MIC ]
[ REPORTER ASKING QUESTION OFF 
MIC ]
≫ YEAH, THIS IS THE HARDEST ONE,
AND GOVERNORS TALK A LOT.
I MEAN, THIS IS AT NO POINT IN
TIME WERE GOVERNORS PROBABLY 
PUSHED TO THE FOREFRONT AS MUCH.
AND I'VE NOT SPENT A LOT OF 
TIME.
ONE, IT'S COUNTER PRODUCTIVE AND
I THINK YOU DO THE WORK THAT'S 
IN FRONT OF YOU.
BUT I THINK IT'S NO SECRET TO 
ANYBODY THAT WE HAVE BEEN
FIGHTING THIS, LIKE, 50 
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES, AND IT 
DOES MAKE IT DIFFICULT.
AND WE TRY TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE 
COMMUNICATING.
AND YES, WE DO TALK OFTEN.
I TALK AN AWFUL LOT
WITH TONY EFFORTS,
WITH GRETCHEN WHICH THE MANAGER,
WITH DOUG IN NORTH DAKOTA.
AND GET THEIR BEST IDEAS.
AND I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 
AN IDEA THAT THIS REGIONALISM 
WOULD BE HELPFUL.
WE TRIED EARLY ON TO FORM THAT 
COMPACT IN THE UPPER GREAT 
LAKES.
IT DOESN'T WORK AS WELL AS WE 
THOUGHT.
IT STILL HAS KIND OF HELD 
TOGETHER OF SHARING
IDEAS AMONGST ONE ANOTHER, BUT 
IT DOES MAKE IT MORE
DIFFICULT, AND IT MAKES MORE 
DIFFICULT BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THIS
PANDEMIC AND I HOPE THE
EPIDEMIOLOGISTS GO CRAZY, PEOPLE
WILL TAKE TWO STATES AND TALK
ABOUT INFECTION RATES AND THINGS
LIKE
THAT, AND SAY, WELL, SEE, IT'S 
WORKING THERE.
WITH A DENSITY OF 3.5 MILLION 
PEOPLE IN A SEVEN-COUNTY AREA 
HERE.
THIS THING OPERATES DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO IT THEN BECOMES ALMOST A 
COMPETITION.
SOME OF IS HEALTHY AND FRIENDLY,
BUT SOME OF IT IS REALLY COUNTER
PRODUCTIVE.
AND I WANT TO JUST BE CLEAR.
WITH STURGIS BEING SUCH A HIGH 
PROFILE THING.
WE HAD FOLKS FROM STURGIS COME 
BACK
TO MINNESOTA AND GET SICK, BUT 
I'M CERTAIN THERE'S
MINNESOTANS THAT HAVE GONE TO 
OTHER STATES AND GOTTEN PEOPLE 
THEIR THERE SICK TOO.
WE'RE JUST TRYING IT FIGURE OUT 
TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.
I ONCE AGAIN THINK -- I THINK IN
A
PANDEMIC, ONE NATIONAL STRATEGY 
WOULD BE A BETTER WAY TO DO 
THAT.
IN THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT WE'VE 
LOOKED AT AROUND
THE GLOBE, THE ONES THAT HAVE 
BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HAVE 
HAD A VERY CLEAR STRATEGY.
SERGE THE UNITED STATES IS A 
LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
MASSIVE LAND SIZE.
DIFFERENT CULTURAL ATTITUDES.
BUT THIS VIRUS ACTS A CERTAIN 
WAY.
IF WE RESPOND TO IT IN A CERTAIN
WAY AND GET OUTCOMES,
THOSE ARE PREDICTABLE WHETHER 
THEY'RE IN SOUTH KOREA, BRAZIL 
OR THE UNITED STATES.
AND WE SIMPLY HAVE NOT DONE 
THAT.
AND SO YOUR QUESTION IS WELL 
TAKEN.
IT'S GOOD.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THIS 
BATTLE.
WITH OTHER STATES.
AND I THINK THE ONE THING YOU 
CAN -- THAT HAS
BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND VICE 
PRESIDENT
PENCE HAS HELPED LEAD ON THIS 
THAT WE HAD HAD A WEEKLY CALL 
WITH THEM, WITH ALL THE 
GOVERNORS ON, THAT'S PRETTY 
HELPFUL.
THE REALLY GOOD ONE IS THE 
NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION 
WHERE 50 GOVERNORS ARE ON.
AND, BOY, IT -- RIGHT THERE, 
POLITICAL AFFILIATION 
DISAPPEARS.
AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT, YOU
KNOW,
CASE POSITIVITY RATE, COMMUNITY 
SPREAD RATE, HOSPITALIZATION 
RATES, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF 
THINGS, STATE FAIRS.
YOU ALL START TALKING ABOUT THE 
COMMONALITIES THAT YOU HAVE.
SO, MINNESOTANS, YOU'RE GOING TO
GET READY.
I WANT YOU TO ENJOY LABOR DAY.
THIS IS -- COVID-19 IS TAKING AN
AWFUL LOT OUT OF US.
IT'S TAKEN A LOT OF JOY OUT OF 
LIFE AND I FULLY RECOGNIZE THAT.
WE NEED TO FIND IT WHERE WE CAN.
WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE OUR 
NEIGHBORS, MANY OF THEM STILL 
UNEMPLOYED.
CHALLENGING SITUATIONS.
WE'VE GOT FOLKS WITH UNDERLYING 
HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE 
TRYING TO PROTECT.
THERE WILL BE A DAY WE GET 
THROUGH THIS.
I WANT TO THANK SENATOR GAZELKA,
AGAIN, FOR THE MEETING TODAY.
I THINK THE REAL EFFORT TO TRY 
AND TONE DOWN POLITICAL 
DIVISIONS IN A TIME OF A 
PANDEMIC IS REALLY HELPFUL.
DIFFERENCES ARE GOOD.
THEY'RE HEALTHY.
DIVIDING US AS A STATE AND AS A 
NATION IS NOT GOOD.
AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO 
WORK ON THAT.
THANKS TO THE HEALTH EXPERTS ON 
THIS.
EVERYBODY, STAY SAFE THIS LABOR 
DAY.
AND WE'LL GET THIS THING -- 
WE'LL GET THIS THING WHIPPED.
THANK YOU.
THANKS, EVERYBODY.
