It is up to all of us to do our part to keep ourselves and our community safe and healthy in this time of coronavirus (COVID-19). As of this writing, we have 7 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brown County and 1650 confirmed cases with 70 deaths in Minnesota. According to the mn.gov/covid19 website, many of the cases are considered Community Transmission, which means, if you are out in the community, you have no idea if the people you come in contact with are infected with the virus and spreading it to you, or if you are infected and spreading it to them! It is believed the virus can be spread before any symptoms are evident. You may never have symptoms and still be spreading it.

This is what you and I can do to keep ourselves and the people around us safe. By doing these simple things, we can all help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

First of all, stay home as much as possible, and stay away from groups of people. I know it’s springtime in Minnesota and we all want to get back outside and gather with our friends and neighbors…but does your campfire area really have enough room to stay six feet away from each other? If you must go out in public, practice social distancing (6 foot rule), and consider wearing a cloth mask to protect others. Remember – you can be spreading the virus even though you are not feeling sick.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Keep your hands away from your face.

Cough/sneeze into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow.

Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces often. Think about your phone, computer keyboard (don’t forget your mouse), doorknobs, countertops, the light switch you reach for when you enter the house, you get the picture!

If you want more in depth information on coronavirus, the following websites are a reliable place to start.

mn.gov/covid19

Cdc.gov

Who.int (World Health Organization)

If you would like to hear Governor Walz’ press conferences and public addresses, find live streams on the Governor’s Youtube channel (Office of the Governor of Minnesota) and Minnesota Public Radio.

COVID-19 has disrupted all of our lives in ways we never imagined, we are all just adapting the best we can. Look around, our local area is finding ways to cope and have a little fun at the same time. There are car parades, mask donations, window visits with loved ones, lots of sidewalk art and in typical New Ulm fashion, shared music!

I know I speak for all of the New Ulm Public Library staff, we miss you! Our building may be closed right now, but there are some great online resources listed on the library website (newulmlibrary.org). If you have any questions, you can call the library at 359-8331 from 10am – 2pm, Monday through Friday.

Stay safe and I hope to see you at the library soon!