As cases of COVID-19 surge uncontrollably throughout Minnesota and most of the United States, hospitals and healthcare workers are being stretched beyond capacity. Morrison County experienced a jump in cases yesterday (November 19), with 353 new cases reported. That’s approximately 1% of the county’s population. Statewide, the spike in cases as become so dire that Camp Ripley will be the home base for 25 FEMA ambulances and staff that will help transfer COVID patients between medical facilities.
Museums, including The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, are closed to the public starting today, November 20, at the close of business, through December 18 at 11:59 p.m. Whether closures will continue at that point will be determined by what the data shows regarding the pandemic.
The Weyerhaeuser Museum has been operating on a “by appointment” basis since the end of June, but it will no longer be taking appointments for visitors or researchers at the museum through this closure. Museum staff can be reached via email (contactstaff@morrisoncountyhistory.org) or phone (320-632-4007). Please leave a message if there is no answer and staff will return your call as soon as possible.
Museum staff urges everyone to take the necessary precautions to bring COVID-19 back under control.
Update – 11/23/2020: The New York Times has reported that Morrison County has the most COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people out of all the counties in the State of Minnesota.
St. Gabriel’s Hospital is feeling the strain of handling a surge of COVID cases according to the Morrison County Record.
The Minnesota Department of Health has COVID at-home tests free of charge to anyone who has symptoms or not. Order your test at this MDH webpage.