Minneapolis schools require vaccines for high school athletes

Vaccine requirement. The Star Tribune’s Mara Klecker reports: “The Minneapolis School District has become what’s believed to be the first in the state to require unvaccinated high school athletes to be tested weekly for COVID-19. … Decisions surrounding COVID-19 testing and vaccine requirements are now left up to individual school districts in Minnesota and therefore not tracked by state agencies. The Minneapolis school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to require the testing during a period from Monday to March 4.”

Also on vaccines. MPR’s Catharine Richert report: “In life, Dr. Christopher Foley was a beloved husband, father and grandfather. He cycled regularly, played handball and had a passion for Irish music. … But through his Vadnais Heights-based practice, Foley also spread falsehoods about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. … These widely debunked claims run contrary to widely held best practices for treating and preventing COVID. But for some who believe them, misinformation has played a role in developing severe illness from the virus, or even dying. … That includes Foley, who died in October of complications from COVID-19. He was 71. At his funeral, Foley’s son Logan confirmed his father’s death from COVID and that he was unvaccinated. Foley’s death certificate says tobacco use played a role in his death.”

And one more COVID story. The Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer reports: “A vaccinated Vikings player went to the emergency room Tuesday evening with breathing troubles from a COVID-19 infection and remains hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday morning, according to head coach Mike Zimmer. … ‘He’s stable now,’ said Zimmer, who did not identify the player. ‘But it was scary.’ … Five Vikings players have been placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list since last Thursday. They include at least two vaccinated players, center Garrett Bradbury and guard Dakota Dozier.”

Nekima Levy Armstrong has an essay in the New York Times about why ballot question two failed. She writes: “Those of us who had long fought for a reckoning over police abuse in Minneapolis expected to see a critical examination of the practices, laws, policies, contractual requirements and spending that undergird policing. We expected a well-thought-out, evidence-based, comprehensive plan to remake our police department. … Instead, what we got was progressive posturing of a kind seen throughout the country and a missed opportunity to bring about real change and racial justice.”