Northfield News reports…

Allina Health and the Mayo Clinic Health System have announced sweeping restrictions to restrict visitor access and conserve resources amid fears that COVID-19 could soon overwhelm the capacity of the state’s health system.

Allina, which owns and operates Owatonna and District One hospitals, announced that it would suspend all non-essential/non-urgent visits in clinics and restrict all in person visitors, with compassionate exemptions available. It also announced that elective surgeries would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and could be postponed or cancelled upon the discretion of the care team. Mayo Clinic took that a step farther, suspending all non-essential surgeries for at least eight weeks.

I got an email from Allina (St Paul clinic) saying the same. I happened to be there last week for a kid (not coronavirus related) and my dad just spent the day at the Mayo on Tuesday (not coronavirus related). It’s disconcerting for folks needing checkups or with more mundane aliments.

Sen Julie Rosen emphasizes the need to look to telehealth…

Rosen said that the state will also need to look at reducing red tape when it comes to telehealth. She said that increased use of telehealth, in which a doctor “sees” patients using electronic communication, could play a huge role in minimizing person-to-person contact, particularly in assisted living facilities where the risks of coronavirus are particularly high.