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THIS IS WCCO 4 NEWS.
AS MINNESOTA CONTINUES TO
REOPEN ITS ECONOMY IT IS GOOD
TO REMEMBER THAT COVID 19 IS
STILL CIRCULATING IN THE STATE.
I TALKED WITH DR. GEORGE MORRIS
THAT WORKS IN ST. CLOUD.
HE HAS ADVICE FOR THE MONTHS
AHEAD.
DR. MORRIS WHAT IS THE
CURRENT SITUATION IN YOUR
COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO
CASES?
I WORK AT CENTER CARE IN
CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WE HAVE
SEEN THE PEAK, THE HIGHEST PART
AND WE ARE SEEING A DECREASE IN
THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES PER
DAY.
WE HAVE BEEN PLEASANTLY WAITING
FOR THIS TO SEEK OUT OUR
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THAT
DOWNWARD PART OF THE SLOPE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A LOT OF
GROUP GATHERINGS IN THE LAST
FEW WEEKS AND PROTESTS AND
MARCHES.
WHAT TO WE EXPECT TO SEE COME
FROM THIS?
ARE WE SEE THAT DATA NOW OR IS
IT TOO EARLY TO SAY?
I THINK WE ARE STILL EARLY.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT 2 TO 14
DAY WINDOW WHEN PEOPLE DRAW
SYMPTOMS AND WE KNOW BY THE
SPREAD RATE IF ONE PERSON HAS
IT DURING THE 2 TO 4 DAY PERIOD
THEY ARE LIKELY TO SPREAD IT TO
FOUR AND IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER
ONE TO TWO WEEKS FOR THOSE
PEOPLE TO SPREAD IT TO 16 TO
64.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP ON OUR
TOES AND KEEP WATCHING FOR ONE
OR TWO WEEKS AFTER THESE LARGE
GATHERINGS AND UNTIL WE START
TO SEE A SMALL TAKEUP AND DOES
IT EXPLODE EXPONENTIALLY.
ARE WE LOOKING A COUPLE MORE
WEEKS BEFORE WE SEE ANY
DIFFERENCE?
I THINK WE ARE AND I THINK
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE
TRYING TO BE ON THE WATCH WITH
THE LARGE GATHERINGS AND WE
KNOW WE ARE LOOKING OUT TO BE
OUT IN THE SUMMER.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
IF WE CAN DO THINGS OUTSIDE
WITH MAINTAINING THE SMALL
GROUPS AND SMALL FAMILY UNITS
AND SMALL GATHERINGS AND I KNOW
WE ARE LOOKING AT PUBLIC SPACES
IF THERE IS ENOUGH SPACE AND
WITH MANY OF THE MEMORIALS FOR
GEORGE FLOYD AND THE
DEMONSTRATIONS AND PROTESTS, AS
YOU SEE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND
SPACING THEMSELVES OUT AND
WEARING FACE COVERINGS OR
MASKS, I THINK THAT IS
SOMETHING IF WE CAN REMEMBER TO
SHOW OUR RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER
TO HELP DECREASE THE SPREAD,
THAT IS WHERE WE WILL AVOID
ANOTHER BIG SURGE.
GOT IT.
AND AS MINNESOTA HAS STARTED TO
REOPEN, YOU KNOW, HEALTH
LEADERS WERE SAYING THAT WE
COULD SEE THE PEAK THIS WEEK.
IS THAT STILL THE CASE OR DO WE
THINK ABOUT IT IS COMING AT A
DIFFERENT TIME NOW?
I THINK AS I LOOK AT IT I
WOULD VIEW IT AS A COUPLE OF
PEAKS.
I THINK WE HAVE HAD OUR PEAK IN
MINNESOTA, THE NUMBER OF NEW
CASES PER DAY ARE GOING DOWN.
JUST AS IN OURS IN CENTRAL
MINNESOTA.
HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE
WOODS.
WE STILL HAVE POCKETS THAT SHOW
UP.
WE HAVE STARTED TURNING THE
DIAL HERE IN MINNESOTA.
SALONS AND RESTAURANTS AND
PARTIALLY REOPENING WITH
OBVIOUSLY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE WHEN IT
COMES TO PEOPLE WANTING TO
ENJOY DOING THESE SORTS OF
ACTIVITIES THIS SUMMER.
I THINK WE SHOULD.
WE SHOULD GO OUT.
WE SHOULD GO FOR WALKS.
BIKING.
HIKING AND ON LAKES AND BOATS
AND FISHING.
WE SHOULD FISH FROM SHORE.
AND WE SHOULD DO IT IN A SAFE
WAY.
THAT MEANS SMALL GROUPS.
STAY WITH FAMILY UNIT.
YOUR PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE CLOSE
TO.
AND THAT WAY TYPICALLY YOU HAVE
BEEN SPREADING IT IN THE HOUSE
ANYWAY.
SO SPEND TIME MORE WITH THE
ONES YOU LOVE.
REMEMBER TO STAY CLOSER TO
HOME.
NOW MAY NOT BE THE TIME TO GO
EXPLORE OUR NATION DURING THESE
TIMES AND BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN
YOU ARE OUT IN PUBLIC.
IF YOU ARE IN A BUILDING, WEAR
A MASK AND FACE COVERING.
THOSE ARE THE TIMES IN THE
LARGE GATHERING IN CONTAINED
SPACES THAT THE SPREAD IS
EASIER AND WHEN YOU ARE DOING
THAT, BE SURE TO MAINTAIN
HYGIENE AND COVER YOUR MOUTH
AND COVER YOUR HANDS AND WASH
SURFACES.
ENJOY IT IN AS SAFE WAY AS
POSSIBLE.
WHAT ABOUT RESTAURANTS?
ARE YOU GOING IN DINING IN
RESTAURANTS AND SHOULD YOU BE
WEARING A MASK?
HOW DOES THAT WORK WHEN YOU ARE
EATING?
IT IS HARD.
I HAVE.
I HAVE DINED IN RESTAURANTS AND
THEY HAVE SPACED THE TABLES
OUT.
EVERY OTHER TABLE AND OUTSIDE
SEATING WHERE YOU CAN MAINTAIN
AS CLOSE TO SIX FEET AS
POSSIBLE AND GO IN THERE WITH
MY MASK ON AND TALK TO THE WAIT
STAFF AND I KNOW THAT WHEN I'M
TALKING TO SOMEBODY ELSE NOT IN
MY FAMILY, I PUT MY MASK ON.
THAT GOES TO MY NEXT
QUESTION.
DO YOU THINK MINNESOTA IS
OPENING TOO EARLY OR DOES THIS
FEEL REASONABLE TO YOU?
I THINK THIS FEELS
REASONABLE.
I KNOW IT IS HARD.
NOT A RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER.
MUCH OF IT IS WE WANT TO GET AS
CLOSE TO LIVING WITH THIS
VIRUS.
WE NEED TO LEARN TO -- WHETHER
YOU WANT TO SAY WRESTLE WITH IT
OR MANAGE IT.
EVERY WEEK WE ARE LEARNING
LESSONS.
WE HAVE A MEDICALLY ADVANCED
COMMUNITY AND DO MEDICALLY
GREAT CARE AND A WORLD-CLASS
PREVENTION SIZE WITH THE U OF
M. AND OUR DIRECTOR GUIDING US.
LET'S TALK ABOUT KIDS.
IT'S SUMMER AND A LOT OF
PARENTS DON'T HAVE SUMMER
CAMPS.
I'M A PARENT AND I'M CONSTANTLY
WONDERING CAN YOU GO TO THE
PARK.
CAN YOU GO TO A SWIMMING POOL.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE THERE?
I THINK WE SHOULD LET THE
KIDS DO MORE ACTIVITIES.
THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE REALLY
-- WE DIALED IT INTO A VERY
SAFE PLACE.
KEEPING KIDS AT HOME.
STOP SCHOOLS.
STOP THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS.
I THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO
SLOWLY OPEN IT BACK UP AGAIN.
IF WE CAN GO TO POOLS WITH HALF
CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC
SETTINGS WIDE OPEN.
AND GENERALLY THAT IS THE
GUIDANCE.
FOR MOST OF THE PLACES IS GO
BACK GRADUALLY.
YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH SMALLER
GROUPS.
BACK IN PODS.
DO MORE TRAINING AND LIKE FREE
PLAY AS OPPOSED TO THE GUIDED
ORGANIZED SPORTS.
I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FREE
PLAY IN SMALL GROUPS.
AND THAT WILL HELP OUR SOCIAL
AND BY THE WAY EMOTIONAL AND
MENTAL HEALTH OF THE KIDS AND
OUR PARENTS.
ABSOLUTELY.
WE KNOW YOU ARE A DOCTOR IN
MINNESOTA BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THESE NUMBERS IN WISCONSIN
MINNESOTA'S NUMBERS ARE HIGHER.
WHY?
THAT IS A HARD ONE.
I LOOK AT THE STATISTICS AND
MINNESOTA COMPARED NEW YORK AND
ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA.
EVERYBODY IS HAVING WAVES AT
DIFFERENT TIMES.
MIDWEST STATES ARE DIFFERENT
THAN WISCONSIN AND IOWA AND THE
DAKOTAS.
IF THE POPULATION DENSITY IS
HIGHER, YOU ARE LIKELY GOING TO
HAVE TO SPREAD IT EASIER.
IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN BUSINESSES
OR SOCIAL GATHERINGS IT WILL
SPREAD SOONER.
WHAT I'M SEEING NATIONALLY IS