Coronavirus Updates: The Latest COVID-19 Headlines From April 20, 2020
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Over the weekend, the COVID-19 death toll in Minnesota rose above 130 and the total number of confirmed cases climbed to 2,356. Oil trading prices are down in the negatives for the first time in history. Meanwhile in Washington, President Donald Trump announced new measures to ramp up testing across the nation.
Here are the latest COVID-19 headlines:
- 9:09 p.m. President Donald Trump announces he will sign an executive order to temporarily ban immigration into the United States during the pandemic.
- 6:58 p.m. The southbound lane of East River Parkway in Minneapolis will close to motor vehicles Tuesday, and open up for pedestrian use.
- 6:11 p.m. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announces his "Badger Bounce Back" plan to reopen the state.
- 5:13 p.m. UFCW calls on USDA to take five immediate actions to protect meatpacking workers and America's food supply during COVID-19 outbreak.
- 3:52 p.m. Lake County Dairy, a Wisconsin company, will donate 15,000 pounds of dairy and milk to schools and food pantries.
- 3:04 p.m. The University of Minnesota launches COVID-19 clinical trials of blood pressure drug losartan.
- 2:00 p.m. Wisconsin officials site 4,499 positive cases of COVID-19, with 230 deaths across the state.
- 1:25 p.m. Macalester College will no longer require students to submit their standardized test scores to be considered for admission.
- 12:28 p.m. The State of Minnesota currently awaits delivery of over 100,000 medical gowns for its critical care supplies.
- 12:15 p.m. State officials issue COVID-19 safety and health guidance for meatpacking industry. Learn more here.
- 11:01 a.m. JBS USA announces the indefinite closure of its pork production facility in Worthington.
- 11 a.m. Minnesota health officials say there's been nine more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the state's death toll to 143. Additionally, the total number of confirmed cases has climbed to 2,470. Meanwhile, more than 1,200 people have recovered from the disease.
- 10:40 a.m. The Minnesota Vikings and the team's owners have surpassed $5 million in donations to COVID-19 causes.
- 10:07 a.m. Just days after tweeting "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," President Donald Trump tweets that he had a "very nice call" with Gov. Tim Walz.
- 9:38 a.m. The Tavern League of Wisconsin is calling on Gov. Tony Evers to allow bars and restaurants to reopen on May 1, more than three weeks ahead of the end of the current stay-at-home order.
- 9 a.m. Official are warning that criminals are targeting the federal stimulus payments being distributed by the federal government.
- 8:53 a.m. Rochesterfest 2020 is cancelled. It was originally scheduled for late June.
- 6:25 a.m. The director of a Chinese government infectious disease research center, which some politicians have pointed to as the origin of the pandemic, says that "there's no way this virus came out from us," CBS News reports.
- 4:36 a.m. The White House and Congress are near a deal on $350 billion in additional small business aid.
