From the loss of a brother to multiple self-quarantines, officials in Minnesota were hard hit by the coronavirus over the weekend.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced that her older brother was one of Tennessee’s first two coronavirus victims. In an Instagram post on Sunday night, Flanagan expressed her heartache and urged others to stay home to stop the spread.
“Almost exactly two months after we buried our dad, my brother Ron passed away on Saturday. To many, he’ll be a statistic: Tennessee’s second COVID-related death. But to me, I’ll remember a loving, older brother, uncle, father, and husband,” Flanagan wrote. “Ron was a tough-as-nails Marine who was a big teddy bear on the inside. He never left my dad’s side during his final weeks and took care of everyone else in the way only he could.”
Flanagan, a Democrat, noted that she and her brother didn’t agree on politics “at all” but said they remained close by poking fun at each other. She also said her brother had been diagnosed with cancer and had a compromised immune system because of his treatments. After catching the virus, he was placed on a ventilator but did not survive. Flanagan said her brother’s death should be a message to those not obeying stay-at-home orders.
“If you feel fine, that’s great. But please consider the possibility that you’re carrying the virus and don’t know it, and then you walk past the next Ron, my big brother, in public.” Flanagan wrote. “COVID-19 now has a personal connection to me. Please do all you can to prevent one for you.”
In addition to Flanagan’s loss, Gov. Tim Walz announced that he would be entering a self-quarantine after a member of his security team tested positive for the virus. He addressed his precautionary measures in a statement.
“The most important thing Minnesotans can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home,” Walz said. “I’m using this as an opportunity to lead by example. Though I’m feeling healthy and not showing any symptoms, I’m going to work from home and model the protocol we are asking all Minnesotans to follow.”
Walz noted that he will continue to govern from the governor’s mansion during his quarantine.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced on Monday that her husband, John Bessler, tested positive for the illness. He had been in Minnesota when he tested positive while she was working in Washington on the Senate legislation to address the economic effects of the disease.
Minnesota’s state legislature announced last week that it would minimize all in-person activities and only come in for emergency votes related to the virus. Walz declared a state of emergency and closed schools last week.
As of Monday afternoon, Minnesota had 169 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and one death.
