Governor Tim Walz appears to have suggested that the Trump administration hasn’t done enough to combat coronavirus in Minnesota in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence.
Walz sent an open letter to Pence, Friday, claiming that Minnesota is struggling to test for COVID-19 and is in need of the administration’s assistance, as Mayo Clinic offers free drive through screening.
“I call upon you to help ensure we appropriately prevent and mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Walz began his letter to the Vice President.
“Minnesota, like other states, is deeply concerned about the availability of the testing kits… I am calling upon you and your office to aid us in ensuring there is access to testing kits,” the governor implored.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation, Saturday, to discuss the accessibility of coronavirus tests. During a White House press conference, he supported a bill to provide “free coronavirus testing for all Americans who should be tested.” This bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, was approved by the House of Representatives Friday night.
While there is a nationwide shortage of resources to test for coronavirus, according to Business Insider, Minnesota appears to relatively well equipped to screen for cases. Last week, Mayo Clinic offered free drive-through testing to anybody showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, according to a press release.
Mayo’s efforts to offer speedy screening for the virus also went fairly well compared to efforts in other states like Colorado, which had its drive through station quickly overwhelmed and discontinued, according to Bloomberg News.
The Clinic claims it can process up to 300 tests per day using a method it developed, and that number is growing, according to the Med City Beat.
Minnesota has been relatively less affected by the COVID-19 outbreak compared to other states, being home to less than 1% of cases nationwide, according to data collected by Live Science.
Walz has also called on Minnesotans to discontinue any gatherings of more than 250 people, including church services, according to MPR News, but has not cancelled school in the state.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
