Ehresmann: Officials Enhancing Response Plans Before Peak Arrives

ST. PAUL -- State health officials say the peak of COVID-19 is still on its way, despite things being quiet right now.

MDH's Director of Infectious Diseases Kris Ehresmann says this period of waiting has been useful in helping them enhance their response plans.

In this interim time, we've had the opportunity to work on these long term care situation and stand up additional resources that we can use to respond going forward.

She says the JBS pork processing plant situation is an opportunity for them to learn and apply those lessons to other facilities throughout the state, so when the time comes they are in a better place to address and deal with the amount of cases they expect to see.

Minnesota has had 2,567 positive COVID-19 cases and 160 deaths so far.

Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm has said based on global modeling from a few weeks ago, they are expecting peak hospitalizations around the middle of May here in Minnesota.