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Dear neighbors,
I’m hearing from many community members who want to know what our state is doing to address COVID-19, commonly referred to as the coronavirus. Minnesota’s first case of COVID-19 was identified on Friday.
Minnesota’s Response to Coronavirus
First of all, I want to assure you that Minnesota is well prepared for the coronavirus. We’re fortunate to have a strong public health system, and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has been in constant contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitals, clinicians, and local officials. On Monday, the Minnesota House unanimously approved a bill that gives state and local health officials the tools they need to prepare for and stop the spread of COVID-19. Governor Walz signed the bill into law yesterday.
Minnesotans should follow the advice of the CDC and MDH to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with your sleeve or a tissue, not your hand.
- Stay home when sick.
- Stay informed. Visit the MDH and CDC websites often.
MDH has set up a public hotline that will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. You can call the hotline at 651-201-3920. You can also visit www.health.state.mn.us for up-to-date and accurate information. I will be in touch with new information as I receive it.
Lawns to Legumes Update
I’m pleased to report that the new Lawns to Legumes program has been extremely popular with Minnesotans! Nearly 6,000 homeowners applied for funding to help establish bee-friendly habitat in their yards. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is selecting the first 500 recipients this week. If you haven’t already applied, you can do so here. The second round of applications is open until June 2.
The Star Tribune published an article about the success of Lawns to Legumes yesterday. It’s available here. The Pew Stateline news service also recently published a piece about Minnesota’s Lawns to Legumes program. It includes information about similar efforts in other states. Click here to read it.
West St. Paul Schools Selected for Minnesota Zoo’s Design Challenge
Students from Academic Arts High School and Garlough Environmental Magnet School have been selected to compete in the Minnesota Zoo’s ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge! This yearlong project asks Minnesota students of all ages to use science, math, and engineering skills to develop solutions for zoo-based scenarios. The top projects advance to the ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge, where students will showcase their solutions. More details are available here.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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