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Coronavirus In Minnesota: Late Penalties, Drivers' License Suspensions Temporarily Stopped To Curb Courthouse Visits

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Judicial Branch announced Tuesday that it's taking measures to reduce foot traffic in state courthouses amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Officials say that for the next 30 days the courts will stop sending out late penalty notices and assessing the late penalties for all citations, halt the process of suspending licenses for failure to appear, and stop referring past-due payment cases to the Department of Revenue.

"We are committed to reducing the need for Minnesotans to visit their local courthouses, and are making these changes to help reduce the spread of COVID-19," state court administrator Jeff Shorba said, in a statement.

These temporary changes to money collection will not detrimentally affect a defendant's case, court officials say. However, people will still be able to make web-based and phone-based payments to the court while these specific processes are on hold.

As of Tuesday, there were 60 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state.

Health officials say most people show mild symptoms. However, the disease can be threatening to the elderly and those with compromised respiratory systems. Even so, the vast majority of those who come down with the virus recover.

Health officials say those with questions about COVID-19 can call the Minnesota Department of Health hotline at 651-201-3920.

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