bri coronavirus friday 03-13-2020

coronavirus friday 03-13-2020

Declaring a peacetime state of emergency for the state of minnesota.

Breaking news as governor walz makes this declaration á and president trump declares a (national state of emergency.

How this will help in the fight against coronavirus.

Plus.xxx this is where the concept of social distancing comes in what you should be doing á and what you should avoid á to keep i think i'd rather here that an event was closed down to err on the side of caution.

I'm sitting down with the olmsted county public health director to ask him about all the cancellations we're seeing locally á and on a national level./// will we see continued sunshine into the weekend.

Details coming up opening statements are made in the rochester double murder trial of glenn johnson.

I'm kimt news three's jessica bringe á i'll tell you what happened inside the courtroom./// kimt news three first at four starts right now./// good afternoon and thank you for joining us for kimt news three first at four.

I'm raquel hellman.///// we start with breaking news á within the last hour and a half á president trump declares a (national state of emergency.xxx breaking news the action i am taking will open up access to up to 50 billion dollars of .... very important in large amount of money for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against and as the number of coronavirus cases in minnesota climbs into the double digits á governor tim walz declares a peacetime emergency.xxx a peacetime state of emergency will allow the state of minnesota to respond more rapidly as issue evolve.

I would ask you all to think of this as opening the tool box.

We are not taking the tool of of it as of today.

Walz also unveiled legislative proposals to better prepare our health care system and provide relief to minnesotans affected by the covidá19 pandemic.

We'll be hearing from iowa governor kim reynolds about the spread of there are now 14 cases of covidá19 in minnesota with one of those in olmsted county.

And there are 16 cofnfirmed cases in iowa.///// as we all look for ways to protect ourselves from coávid nineteen á it's important to understand how this virus is transmitted.xx x it's transmitted through respiratory droplets generated when someone infected coughs or sneezes.

We know that these droplets extend about 3 to 6 feet from the person that generates them.

/// that's why what's called social distancing is key in preventing the spread of the virus.

According to the centers for disease control and prevention á social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings á avoiding mass gatherings á and maintaining distance á approximately six feet á from others when possible.

A mayo clinic infectious disease specialist further explains the concept and why it's so important.xxx f we stay away from someone who is sick, or in general, beyond that 6 foot margin, then the risk of being exposed drops dramatically.

That's why some of these recommendatio ns about canceling large meetings and gatherings where people are in very close contact with each other.

Some universities have decided to switch from a classroom teaching setting to an online teaching setting.

That's where those measure come in á to increase the distance between people so then decrease the chances they are exposed if someone around them is sick.

The cáeáo of starbucks says they may implement social distancing by limiting seating inside stores.

They may also eventually only keep drive thrus open á and restrict ordering to the app for pickup and delivery.

And as a "last resort" á starbucks may temporarily close stores./// so how can (you practice social distancing?

There's quite a few ways.

I'll break them down for you in the next half hour of this newscast./// with so much information out there about the coronavirus á and so many questions á i wanted to get some answers.

I sat down with olmsted county director of public health graham briggs to ask him some of the questions on a lot of our minds.xxx with all of these cancellations happening right now, do you feel like it's necessary and a good thing or do you think it's being a little bit overhyped?

I think we saw a difference just as some major national organizations started cancelling things, the nba then the ncaa tournament, that changes the way the nation sees the situation.

I think here in rochester we don't see evidence of local transmission at this point and we're working with the minnesota department of health and the cdc to follow the same recommendatio ns and just make sure that we're doing things consistently and while some organizations might decide that they would like to or need to cancel an event or have people mobile work or something like that, as far as the official public health recommendatio ns go, we're not recommending that at his point.

I also asked him if we should be concerned if we will be attending a public event that hasn't been cancelled á like a play.

His answer?

It depends on who you are.

We'll hear from him about that coming up a little bit later in this newscast./// the sun is back just in time for the weekend.

I'm joined now by kimt stormteam three chief meteorologist chris nelson.

Chris?////// today: mostly sunny highs: near 40 winds: nw 15á25 mph tonight: increasing clouds lows: mid 20s winds: nnw 5á10 mph saturday: mostly cloudy coronavirus the jury is set and a double murder trial is now underway in olmsted county.

Glenn johnson of rochester is facing life in prison for the stabbing deaths of eric flemming and phillip hicks at the castleview apartments in march of 2018.

Kimt news three's jessica bringe was in the court today for opening statements.

She joins us now live from the olmsted county government center.

Jessica á there's something that makes this trial very unique?xxx raquel á this is a bifurcated trail..which is really just a fancy way of saying it's divided into two parts.

The first half will focus on whether or not johnson is guilty of the murders..

And if convicted the jury will then have to decide if he was mentally unstable during the crimes.

During the opening statement today the prosecution detailed how johnson didn't get along with his neighbors, hicks and flemming, at castleview apartments..

On the night the two men were stabbed the prosecution says johnson grabbed steak knives and waited for hicks to come out of his apartment in his wheelchair..th at's when he allegedly stabbed him..

Then stabbed flemming to death.

After johnson was arrested á the prosecution says he made the comment "both of them asked for what they got" when the defense made its opening statement there was no mention of the night in question..

The defense instead focused on the split trial..

And said the jury should find johnson innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable we have very strong evidence of the guilt phase.

There's not a lot of weakness in our case in that part of it.

After opening statement were heard..

The prosecution called the sisters of both flemming and hicks to describe the two men when they were alive to the jury.

Live in rochesterá thank you jessica.

The first half of the trial is expected to wrap up early next week..

Ostrem says he believes the trial will move into the second phase focused on mental illness./// local leaders gather to discuss governor walz's peacetime emergency guidelines what they're recommending you do to coronavirus minutes ago á governor walz is declaring a peacetime emergency in minnesota.

He's issuing a few community mitigation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic á including: cancelling or postponing events of more than 250 people.

Give space for six feet per person at smaller events of less than 250 people á and limit gatherings with people at high risk for severe disease to less than 10 people.

Rochester and olmsted county leaders gathered just over an hour ago to discuss governor walz's guidelines and how they will be implemented in olmsted county.

Above all á they recommend people use common sense when practicing social distancing á doing every day tasks á and going about their lives.xxx common sense.

But again.

You need to go to the stores, you need to get your basics, unless youre ill, but that's what a community's about.

Check in on your neighbor, check in one your grandparents while there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in olmsted county á public health says there is not yet any signs of local transmission.

On kimt news 3 at 5 á we'll hear from superintenden t munoz on rochester public schools latest even mickey mouse isn't immune to the threat of the coronavirus.xx x i think if disney's closing we should probably take it seriously.

Find out how the happiest place on earth is taking action your full stormteam 3 forecast is coming up next.

I'm joined now by kimt stormteam three chief meteorologist chris nelson.

Chris what are you tracking?///// breezy winds form the north remain this morning , pushing in cooler and drier air to set the pace for our friday.

Dominant sunshine will be the driving fore however it comes with a catch á cooler temps.

Where temps jumped into the middle 50s for some just yesterday, today highs will be limited to the upper 30s and lower 40s.

As winds die down this afternoon and evening lows will drop back into the middle 20s as clouds move back in.

Precipitation chances have become much lower over the last 24 hours á most will be starting saturday morning on a dry but cloudy note.

The heaviest snow from an approaching colorado low will slip to the southwest of us but some of our southernmost counties could see up to a trace.

Meanwhile, high pressure battles from the north to help keep the heaviest of the snow away during the weekend and providing sunshine for our sunday.

Rain and snow chances have also lowered coming into the next work week but we've still got our eye on a possible system moving in wednesday through thursday.

Today: mostly sunny highs: near 40 winds: nw 15á25 mph tonight: increasing clouds lows: mid 20s winds: nnw 5á10 mph saturday: mostly cloudy (( ad lib chat with raquel and chris )) pushing in cooler and drier air to set the pace for our friday.

Dominant sunshine will be the driving fore however it comes with a catch á cooler temps.

Where temps jumped into the middle 50s for some just yesterday, today highs will be limited to the upper 30s and lower 40s.

As winds die down this afternoon and evening lows will drop back into the middle 20s as clouds move back in.

Precipitation chances have become much lower over the last 24 hours á most will be starting saturday morning on a dry but cloudy note.

The heaviest snow from an approaching colorado low will slip to the southwest of us but some of our southernmost counties could see up to a trace.

Meanwhile, high pressure battles from the north to help keep the heaviest of the snow away during the weekend and providing sunshine for our sunday.

Rain and snow chances have also lowered coming into coronavirus it's supposed to be the happiest place on earth.

But as we are seeing more closures because of covid 19, disney is taking action.

Disney world, disneyland áand disneyland paris are shutting down as a precaution, right in the middle of its usually busy spring break season.

For only the 4th time in park historyá disneyland announced it will close starting saturday, through the end of march.

The closure is in response to california's request to limit all social gatherings to no more than 250 people... after cases of covidá19 have soared across the state.

Disney world resort in florida and disneyland paris resort will close starting sunday.

Guests have mixed opinions i do think it could be overplayed a little bit, but at the same time as a parent you just kinda wanna be cautious disneyland says it will still pay all its employees during the closure.

Universal studios hollywood announced it would close on saturday too and expects to reopen march 28th.

American airlines will continue to operate flights to and from europe for up to seven days áá to ensure americans can return to the united states.

This comes after president donald trump announced travel restrictions to the continent to try and curb the spread of coronavirus.

In addition áá american says it is further reducing the number of international flights ááá transáatlantic flights will be reduced by 50 percent in april.//// an airline cabin can double as a flying petri dish when not maintained properly.

The enclosed space, recirculated air and large numbers of people make planes prime breeding grounds for bacteria.

So what can you do to help fend off the coronavirus above cruising altitude?

Carry antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer.

Wipe down tray tables seat belt buckles armrests and seat back pockets when you sit down.

Andá hydrate, because the air in the plane's cabin is recirculated it contains less humidity than most people the coronavirus pandemic could have a detrimental impact on small businesses.

We're finding out what the rochester chamber of commerce is advising (local businesses to do as we navigate this time of uncertianty./// in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic á small businesses have growing coronavirus the first 90 coronavirus tests done by the mayo clinic have come back negative.

Hospital officials say that suggests the virus may not be have longá term.

The rochester chamber of commerce says while this is a concering time for small businesses..

Employers shouldn't panic á but make sure to follow the best practices laid out by the cádá c.

The chamber of commerce is also asking people to continue <they're concerned the public is going to over react and not go out to dinner, not call for takeá out and we've been trying to reassure the public and our businesses to continue on.> the chamber also says if an employee is sick..

The employer should make sure they stay home./// that goes along with the big question of how we can protect ourselves á and others from coronavirus.xx x there's a few different things that are recommended.

A mayo clinic infectious disease specialist breaks down the simple steps we can take to stay safe./// the next round of precipitation could be heading our way for the weekend.

A timeline coming up coronavirus as we work to protect our selves á and others from coronavirus á one term we're hearing a lot of is social distancing.

Here are some ways to implement it á according to mayo clinic.xxx closing schools and child care centers avoiding malls á theaters á grocery stores á or anywhere with large crowds á such as concerts or festivals suspending services at churches and other houses of worship.

Encouraging people to work from home.

And avoiding the use of public transportatio n.

Plus.xxx avoid handshakes.

We know our hands carry a lot of germs on them.

Changing to another method of greeting is encouraged and recommended.

I recommend people wave or bow, or put their hand over their heart as certain alternatives that people can use that don't carry the risk of a handshake."

/// something else mayo clinic experts say we can be doing as we deal with this pandemic á is to be careful where you're getting information á and what information you are spreading.

I'll have more on how you can do that coming up in our next half hour on kimt news three at five./// while many events in our area have been cancelled because of the coronavirus á not all of them have.

So is it safe to attend smaller scale á local public events?

I sat down with olmsted county director of public health graham briggs to find out.xxx <i'm attending a play tonight here in town.

I did a story with this theatre group yesterday about all the precautions that they are taking, they are taking these extra measures to keep us safe, is that something that's okay for me to do if i'm careful about it?

I think that's a great example of where we're at right now with local recommendatio ns and taking the lead off of the cdc with this that for people who are at higher risk, the recommendatio ns right now are saying things like avoid cruises, and airline travel and think about congregate settings before you go into them and what your specific health issues are at higher risk or if you're in a situation where you're highly immune compromised or they've got chronic lung disease or something like that.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that without any real evidence of transmission here, that a play needs to be cancelled."/// > he said for someone like me á a healthy thirtyá something year old á i'll probably be fine attending something like a play if i take the proper precautions.

But of course i also need to keep in mind if i will be coming in contact with in my daily life á so that if i was to get sick á i won't pass it on to someone who is at a higher risk of a very serious illness./// so that play i was talking about attending tonight is absolute theatre's production of "murder on the orient express" at the castle community in rochester.

As i first told you yesterday á there are extra precautions in place to keep patrons safe.

They're disinfecting door handles á railings, elevator buttons, furniture, and game tables daily.

They're also making sure there's plenty of soap in the bathrooms. and this cabaret seating layout á which minimizes close physical contact with other theaterá goers á expect those at your table.

They're also being very lenient with their ticket exchange and refund policy.

So if you are sick or need to change your plans á you're asked to contact the box office and they will work something out with you./// today á we're learning the rochester repertory theatre is taking similar precautions.

The play á strange snow is underway right now at the rep.

So they're diligently cleaning the theatre and have taken extra steps to make sure that publicly shared surfaces are disinfected.

One aspect of the rep is that it is a very intimate space á which is concerning for some in this situation.

So they are offering options to patrons.

If you already have a ticket and don't want to attend á they will exchange it for a future performance or production.

If you do not wish to exchange your ticket á they're asking to consider donating the ticket back to the theatre.

But if you do want a refund á they're happy to do that as well.

As of right now á they're not planning on cancelling any performances or productions á but they are monitoring the situations and will make decisions as they become necessary./// the sun's return is putting a smile on all of our faces, i'm joined now by kimt stormteam three chief meteorolgist chris nelson.

Chris?////// today: mostly sunny highs: near 40 winds: nw 15á25 mph tonight: increasing clouds lows: mid 20s winds: nnw 5á10 today: mostly sunny highs: near 40 winds: nw 15á25 mph tonight: increasing clouds lows: mid 20s winds: nnw 5á10 mph saturday: there is now a total of 16 cases of coronavirus in iowa.

Governor kim reynolds is holding a press conference on covidá19 right now.

We're taking a look at the press conference now.

Coronavirus iowa governor reynolds is holding press conference on covidá19 from the state emergency operations center in johnston, iowa.

(( ad lib about reynolds' presser )) kimt news three is continuing to bring you the very latest on coávid 19.

We're making sure you have the latest on everything you need to know about how the coronavirus is impacting you.

///// as coávid 19 spreadsá it's important you know what the symptoms are.

Coronavirus as of todayá there are 14 cases of coronavirus in minnesota.

Including one in olmsted county.

In case you're wondering these are the symptoms. the centers for disease control and prevention saysá feverácough and shortness of breath are the symptoms you need to watch out for.

The symptoms while concerns over covidá19 grow around the worldá allergy season is starting to pick up.

Kimt stormteam three meteorolgist sean macaday is breaking down how this season is looking right now.

He joins us now live.

Sean?//// live amidst the concerns about coronavirus and other sickness, many of us are about to experience something else.

Seasonal allergies.

So let's talk about it.

Seasonal allergies are mostly the result of pollen come spring time as plants bloom.

Two of the most common allergens are tree and weed pollen.

Tree pollen will typically start spreading around early april through may, while weed pollen begins in middle june and lasts through september.

Common symptoms include a runny nose, nasal congestion, and watery eyes, amongst some other common symptoms like sneezing and occasionally soar throats.

Going forward, it is still mid march.

We are not expecting pollen levels to rise until early april at the very earliest.

Stay tuned, because coming up i will be talking about how rapid changes in weather can actually irritate your sinuses.

Live in rochesterá thanks sean.

And another area college is transitioning to online courses due to covidá19.

North iowa area community college has announced plans to cancel face to face classes when students return next week.

Beginning march 23rd á lecture formatted classes will be online only for the foreseeable future.

President doctor steve schulz says the school has been busy even before this week "we're going to ramp up cleaning of public spaces, we increased disenfectant on campus about 3 weeks ago.

We delivered clorox wipes to those places where we interact with our students and our customers."

Niacc's offices and locations will remain open.

In addition á student residences and dining services will remain accessible.

Also á there have been no identified cases of covidá 19 on campus./// the remainder of the high school winter sports season has been called off.

Káiámát news three sports director á kaleb gillock á joins us to break down the másáhásál's decision./// when we could hit 50 nexxxttttt i'm joined now by kimt stormteam three chief meteorologist chris nelson.

Chris what are you tracking?///// breezy winds form the north remain this morning , pushing in cooler and drier air to set the pace for our friday.

Dominant sunshine will be the driving fore however it comes with a catch á cooler temps.

Where temps jumped into the middle 50s for some just yesterday, today highs will be limited to the upper 30s and lower 40s.

As winds die down this afternoon and evening lows will drop back into the middle 20s as clouds move back in.

Precipitation chances have become much lower over the last 24 hours á most will be starting saturday morning on a dry but cloudy note.

The heaviest snow from an approaching colorado low will slip to the southwest of us but some of our southernmost counties could see up to a trace.

Meanwhile, high pressure battles from the north to help keep the heaviest of the snow away during the weekend and providing sunshine for our sunday.

Rain and snow chances have also lowered coming into the next work week but we've still got our eye on a possible system moving in wednesday through thursday.

Today: mostly sunny highs: near 40 winds: nw 15á25 mph tonight: increasing clouds lows: mid 20s winds: nnw 5á10 mph breezy winds form the north remain this morning , pushing in cooler and drier air to set the pace for our friday.

Dominant sunshine will be the driving fore however it comes with a catch á cooler temps.

Where temps jumped coronavirus the minnesota state high school league announced this morning that the remainder of the winter sports season has been called off.

Káiámát news three sports director á kaleb gillock á joins us now... kaleb á there were a lot of local teams whose seasons were still very much alive.

(( ad lib chat with raquel, chris, and kaleb )) let's take a look at what the league is saying... it announced this morning that the girls basketball state tournament had been canceled.

Additionally á all section boys section and state basketball tournament have been canceled... including the section championships in rochester tonight.

The adaptive floor hockey tournament has been canceled.

And the section speech tournament events for next week have been postponed indefinitely.

As far as spring sports are concerned... participation is limited to practices and tryouts only.

Scrimmages á competitions á practices á training sessions á or participation with other member schools is prohibited.

Schools are allowed to enforce further restrictions.

Now they do have a fáaáq section on their press release and just to highlight a few... (ad lib).

But i think you really have to feel for these schools like lourdes that was one game away from the state championship á or blooming prairie that made it to state for the first time in more than 50 years.

(( ad lib chat with raquel, chris, and kaleb )) thanks kaleb.

Lawmakers free up billions of dollars for more coronavirus testing we can only defeat this outbreak if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope find out how our country is coronavirus as we've been reporting, president trump today declared a national emergency over the coronavirus.

Kimt news three's george mallet has been monitoring developments in washington and joins us now with an update.

Raquelááá we had been anticipating this move by the president and a presidential tweet earlier in the day heightened that anticipation.

The president's action will allow the federal emergency management agency to tap into billions of dollars and mobilize personnel more quickly to help state and local agencies respond.

Late today, president trump declared a national emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The move frees up billions of dollars in federal disaster relief for states.

The president also announced measures to speed up coronavirus testing.

On capitol hill á speaker nancy pelosi says the house will pass a multiábillion dollar emergency response bill to provide free testing.

(sot: rep.

Nancy pelosi/(dáca) speaker of the house)14:05:57 the three most important parts of this bill is testing, testing, testing.

14:06:08 this legislation provides funding for everyone who needs a test, including the uninsured.

The only way we can get a grasp on what is needed is.... in a suburb of new york city, which has seen a cluster of cases, the state set up a driveáthru testing center.

(sot: linda solomon/new rochelle, ny resident) (fri0107) "i called up the department of health on wednesday and asked for an appointment.

That's when i was pretty sick and i got a phone call back yesterday, two days later and i got the appointment for, i got one of the first appointments."

As part of the government response, the president said he would waive interest on federal student loans "until further notice," and that the department of energy would buy up crude oil for storage in u.s. reserves.

And raquelááá the president is urging states to set up emergency operation centers.

Thank you george.

And adding to that final point george made, the president is urging hospitals to activate emergency preparedness plans.

He also launched a partnership with private companies to increase testing capabilities.

The cádác saysá you should call your doctor if you develop the coávid 19 symptoms. cougháfeverá and shortness of breath.

Or if you've been in close contact with a person known to have coronavirusá or if you've recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of the coronavirus.///// the city of rochester is making changes to the way it operates during the coronavirus pandemic.

We'll show you what's being done to keep city employees á and plus á many schools are turning to eá learning in an effort to stop the spread of coávid nineteen.

We'll show you how that's impacting local students./// how many sunny days we'll see this weekend coming up as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic á we all want to know how to protect ourselves.

There are the obvious ways á practicing diligent hygeine á and social distancing á which we told you about here on first at four.

But george á another way we can protect ourselves and prevent panic á is by being careful how we receive and spread information.

Agreed raquel á this is especially important in today's world where social media is such a big part of our lives.

A mayo clinic infectious disease