Walz promotes mask drive to slow virus spread

Gov. Tim Walz is calling on Minnesota residents to make homemade masks for those most at risk of the coronavirus.

Walz said Saturday that people should drop off the masks at their local fire departments next Saturday so that they can be delivered to senior living facilities and other group homes for employees and residents to wear.

Meanwhile, health officials reported 143 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 more coronavirus-related deaths, raising the state’s death toll to 121. Twenty-three of the new cases were in Nobles County, where the JBS pork plant is located. The union representing most of the 2,000 workers at the plant called on executives to slow down production so that workers can maintain safe social distancing.