Tag: Minnesota Department of Health

Tim Walz’s Administration Awarded Millions to Group That Fundraised for Organization Linked to Al-Qaeda

Daily Caller News Foundation
Tim Walz

Under Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota awarded millions to an American Islamic association which later fundraised for a Muslim charity that collaborated with an al-Qaeda-linked organization.

The Minnesota Department of Health committed to giving the Islamic Association of North America well over $2 million in public health-related grants between 2020 and 2026, coinciding with Walz’s term as Minnesota governor, according to state spending records first reported by the Washington Examiner. The Islamic Association of North America, following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel, held a fundraiser for Rahma Worldwide, a Muslim charity that has collaborated on a Gaza aid program with the Islamic Heritage Revival Society of Kuwait, an organization the U.S. government sanctioned for funding al-Qaeda and which U.S. intelligence officials believed to be part of a Hamas fundraising operation.

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Minnesota Abortions Increased Significantly in 2022, Report Says

Admin

Abortions in Minnesota experienced a significant increase of 20% in 2022, as revealed in a report released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

This sharp rise comes on the heels of new abortion laws passed by lawmakers during the 2023 session, removing restrictions on abortion throughout pregnancy and repealing long-standing abortion laws, including portions of the reporting law that governs the release of the MDH data.

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Minnesota Department of Health Pushes COVID-19 Vaccine for Infants but Parents Are Resisting

Admin

The Minnesota Department of Health is once again urging parents to get children as young as six-months old vaccinated against COVID-19, citing low vaccination rates among kids.

According to MDH, fewer than 17% of children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years have received at least one dose and fewer than 5% of kids in this age group are up to date on their vaccines.

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Convenience Most Common Reason for Abortions in Minnesota

Admin

The Minnesota Department of Health released two-years’ worth of abortion data Friday, correcting an abortion clinic’s 2020 reporting error.

The state reports that there were 10,339 abortions in 2020 and 10,136 abortions in 2021.

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Minnesota Department of Health Takes Control of Nursing Home with ‘Growing List’ of Unpaid Bills

The Center Square

The Minnesota Department of Health announced Monday that it took control of a nursing home center on Saturday because staff reported the facility has a growing list of unpaid bills that threaten critical services for residents.

The Ramsey County court granted a temporary order June 10 to allow regulators to ensure residents’ safety and continued care while operations and management issues are handled at the facility, Pine Haven Care Center in Pine Island, a news release said.

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Minnesota to Provide 500,000 At-Home COVID Tests to Residents

Cooper Moran

The state of Minnesota is launching a new program to distribute 500,000 at-home coronavirus tests to residents of the state.

The new initiative will replace a system that forces individuals to order a COVID-19 test from a lab and ship the test back for analysis and confirmation of the virus. 

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Minnesota State University Mankato to Open Rural Behavioral Center

The Center Square

Minnesota State University Mankato announced Thursday it will establish a rural behavioral center this fall to increase access to behavioral health care for residents in outstate Minnesota, including residents of reservations.

The Minnesota Department of Health’s 2021 Rural Health Care in Minnesota Chartbook indicated 80% of the North Star State’s counties are mental health professional shortage areas.

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Minnesota Gives Non-White Patients Preferential Access to Life-Saving COVID Treatment

Minnesota Sun Staff

Minnesota says healthcare providers should provide non-white patients with preferential access to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This isn’t a conspiracy theory; it’s written in a state document and apparently upheld by local hospitals.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says in a document titled “Ethical Framework for Allocation of Monoclonal Antibodies during the COVID-19 Pandemic” that “race and ethnicity alone, apart from other underlying health conditions, may be considered in determining eligibility for mAbs [monoclonal antibodies].”

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Leaked Email from Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcom in 2020 Said COVID Numbers ‘Don’t Justify Dial Backs’

Hayley Feland

A leaked email from Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Jan Malcom appears to say that the “small impacts” are not enough to justify “dial backs” to the public. The emails, sent in October of 2020, include from Malcolm to other MDH staff and one from the Chief of Staff for Governor Tim Walz (D).

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Number of ICU Beds in Minnesota Hospitals Continues to Decline

Hayley Feland

While COVID hype and fear is pushed on the American population, Minnesota’s ICU bed capacity continues to decline. Government officials, news outlets, and influencers are encouraging Minnesotans to get vaccinated to stay out of the ICU, citing Minnesota’s “93% full ICUs.”

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Minnesota Department of Health Recommends School Aged Children Test ‘at Least’ Weekly for COVID

Hayley Feland

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has recommended that school aged children test at least weekly for COVID. Local districts can choose to take part in the program offering on-site testing at elementary schools and receive a grant to fund it.

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Minnesota Medical Groups Pushing K-12 Schools to Require Masks

Hayley Feland
Little girl wearing pink mask, hair up in a braid, sitting at a table

Several Minnesota medical groups are pushing local K-12 schools to require masks when school resumes in the fall. They are asking the school districts to enact masking mandates that follow the latest federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

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Five out of Six ‘New’ COVID Deaths in Minnesota Actually from February

Hayley Feland

Five out of the six “newly reported” COVID deaths for Minnesota were actually from February. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) heralded Monday as having the highest number of newly reported deaths in the last two months. A tweet, from a person who analyzes the Minnesota data showed the specific dates that the “newly reported” deaths were from.

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Report: Minnesota Abortion Clinic Failed to Report 1,000 Abortions

Minnesota Sun Staff
Whole Woman’s Health in front of Supreme Court

An abortion clinic failed to report 1,000 abortions to the state last year, meaning abortions actually increased in 2020 and again surpassed 10,000.

Pro-life activists initially celebrated the Minnesota Department of Health’s annual report to the Legislature, which showed that abortions dropped to a record-low of 9,108 in 2020. But then Pro-Life Action Ministries’ Brian Gibson noticed that Whole Woman’s Health reported zero abortions for 10 months out of the year — an impossibility, since his activists observed women going in and out of the clinic every day.

So Moses Bratrud with the Minnesota Family Council called up the abortion clinic and was told there was a “reporting error.” In reality, Whole Woman’s Health performed 1,256 abortions in 2020, an increase of 1,119 over the 137 abortions the clinic initially reported, according to Bratrud’s report.

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Minnesota County Will Now Pay People up to $100 to Get Vaccinated

Minnesota Sun Staff

by Rose Williams   Hennepin County is giving out $50 Visa gift cards as an incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a press release, the county is offering $50 per dose between July 1 and August 15. Anyone who receives both doses in that time frame at county-sponsored vaccine…

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Minnesota’s COVID-19 Hospitalizations Drop Below 400

The Center Square
Doctors talking with masks on

COVID-19 hospitalizations fell below 400 in Minnesota for the first time since March, state health officials reported Friday.

About 396 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) data reports. Of those, 116 are in an intensive care unit.

Hospitalizations peaked at 699 in early 2021, but have fallen following the first vaccine injection of 2.8 million Minnesotans, or 63% of state residents ages 16 and older. COVID-19 disproportionately killed older people. About 90% of Minnesotan’s COVID-19 deaths were seniors ages 65 and older.

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Minnesota Counts COVID Cases in Schools Without Confirming Infection or Source

Minnesota Sun Staff

The Minnesota Department of Health admits that its official tally of coronavirus cases associated with schools includes cases where no positive test was recorded and “cases where the exposure setting was not confirmed.”

For one year, as of this week, Gov. Tim Walz has imposed restrictions or closures on Minnesota public schools, claiming that such measures are informed by careful scientific study. However, an examination of the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) weekly coronavirus reports raises some serious questions about the accuracy of the numbers the state has used to justify school closures.

Rather than tabulating the number of COVID-19 cases that have definitely originated in schools, the MDH reports on “cases associated with pre-K through grade 12 school buildings.”

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Minnesota Department of Health: Even Kids Who Test Negative Must Quarantine If Exposed

Corinne Murdock

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) stated Monday in a press release that even children who test negative for the coronavirus must quarantine if exposed. The MDH’s “COVID-19 Attendance Guide for Parents and Families” explains these standards.

“Getting tested does not shorten the time that they must stay home. Your child must stay home for 14 days (quarantine) from the last contact they had with the person who tested positive for COVID-19, even if the child tests negative,” states the guide.

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U.S. COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Birx: Minnesotans Haven’t Done Enough to Decrease Spread

Corinne Murdock

U.S. Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx stated in a visit to Minnesota on Sunday that Minnesotans haven’t done enough to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The visit is part of a cross-country tour to gauge how well states are adhering to coronavirus guidelines.
Birx commended the measures instituted by the state. However, she said that Minnesotans needed to do more – especially in rural areas.

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U.S. COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Birx: Minnesotans Haven’t Done Enough to Decrease Spread

Corinne Murdock

U.S. Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx stated in a visit to Minnesota on Sunday that Minnesotans haven’t done enough to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The visit is part of a cross-country tour to gauge how well states are adhering to coronavirus guidelines.
Birx commended the measures instituted by the state. However, she said that Minnesotans needed to do more – especially in rural areas.

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Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Report: All Schools Safe to Reopen

Corinne Murdock

The latest report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reveals that all schools are safe to reopen for in-person learning models, according to county case numbers. The MDH released this information as part of an updated report published every Thursday. 
Many elementary and high schools are scheduled to begin their fall semesters in several weeks’ time. Schools are required to submit their learning model plans to families the week before their start date. Models reflect one of three options: in-person learning, distance learning, or a hybrid of the two. All models are subject to change throughout the semester, depending on county case levels.

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Minnesota Department of Health to Allow Visitors into Nursing Homes at the End of August

Corinne Murdock

People wanting to visit their loved ones residing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities will be able to starting August 29, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Monday.

This will be the first time visitors have been allowed into long-term care facilities since March 31.

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Testing Supply Chain in Minnesota Re-Emerges as Concern

Minnesota Sun Staff

Minnesota health officials are concerned about renewed pressure on the testing supply chain, which could affect the state’s response to a recent growth in cases and plans to continue to ramp up testing.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said during a press call Friday that state officials have received reports of delays or reductions in testing supplies like reagents and pipettes from some health systems across the state, which rely on their own supply channels for weekly shipments of testing equipment.

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Minnesota Schools Given Possible Scenarios for the Fall

Admin

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) gave additional guidance for what school could look like in the fall.

The guidance recommended school districts plan for three possible scenarios: in-person learning for all students; hybrid learning with social distance and capacity limits; or distance learning only.

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Eden Prairie School Board Member Criticizes ‘Unacceptable’ Lack of Direction from Walz Admin on Upcoming School Year

Anthony Gockowski

An Eden Prairie School Board member broke his silence Monday after learning that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) won’t be releasing state guidance on the upcoming academic year until July 27.

Three scenarios are possible for the 2020-21 school year, including continued distance learning, the resumption of in-person instruction, or a mix of the two.

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Group Calls on Commissioner Malcolm to Resign for Failing to Address Long-Term Care Crisis

Anthony Gockowski

One of Minnesota’s most influential pro-life organizations has called on Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm to resign for failing to address the crisis in the state’s long-term care facilities.

As of Tuesday, COVID-19 fatalities among nursing-home residents accounted for 79 percent of Minnesota’s 1,217 total deaths. Under the threat of a legislative subpoena, Malcolm revealed in a 74-page letter to lawmakers that dozens of long-term care facilities have allowed COVID-19 patients to return to a congregate-care setting after being discharged from the hospital.

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Conservative Journalist Banned from Gov. Walz’s Press Briefings Without Explanation

Anthony Gockowski

A conservative journalist has sued Gov. Tim Walz’s administration after he was barred from participating in the governor’s daily press briefings on the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the lawsuit, Scott Johnson, an attorney and writer for PowerLine, was allowed to participate in the daily briefings until April 27, when he was suddenly “excluded from all future daily briefings without explanation.”

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Nursing Homes Continue to Account for 80 Percent of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Deaths

Anthony Gockowski

Long-term care facilities continue to account for 80 percent of all COVID-19 deaths reported in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Health reported nine new deaths Monday, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 428. Of those 428 fatalities, 345 (80 percent) were people who resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities.

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70 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths in Minnesota Associated with Nursing Homes

Anthony Gockowski

Health officials revealed during a Tuesday press conference that nursing home residents account for slightly more than 70 percent of all COVID-19-related deaths in Minnesota.

Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann said during a Tuesday press briefing that 113 of the state’s 160 deaths “are associated with long-term care.”

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Minnesota Health Officials Will Release Info on Nursing Homes with Coronavirus After Facing Criticism

Anthony Gockowski

State Senator Karin Housley (R-St. Mary’s Point) said the Minnesota Department of Health’s decision to withhold information about the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on nursing homes “only brings unnecessary grief and frustration to many Minnesota families.”

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Mayo Clinic Says It Can Now Perform Up to 4,000 COVID-19 Tests Daily

Anthony Gockowski

Mayo Clinic announced last week that it can now test up to 4,000 clinical samples for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on a daily basis.

Mayo officials said they now have the capacity to process COVID-19 test samples at all Mayo Clinic sites and have started processing test samples from their clients across the state, including eight major health systems.

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Minnesota Limits Testing Because of ‘National Shortage’ of COVID-19 Testing Materials

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Department of Health said Tuesday that it is tightening its “testing criteria” for the coronavirus because of a “national shortage of COVID-19 laboratory testing materials.”

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Governor Walz Declares Peacetime Emergency, COVID-19 Spreads to Rural Counties

Anthony Gockowski

Health officials identified seven new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Saturday morning, including the first case in a rural county.

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Audit Finds Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Program Lacks ‘Adequate’ Internal Controls

Anthony Gockowski

A new report found that the Minnesota Department of Health’s “internal controls” for its medical cannabis program “were generally not adequate to safeguard financial assets and ensure compliance with selected legal requirements.”

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Minnesota Department of Health Confirms Role of Vitamin E Acetate in Vaping Injuries

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released findings this week providing “direct evidence” that vitamin E acetate found in illicit THC products is playing a significant role in the outbreak of vaping injuries.

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