New partnership appeals to Minnesotans to act now to control spread of COVID-19, reduce hospital admissions and support our healthcare heroes

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 23, 2020) — FightCovidMN, a groundbreaking partnership of the state’s hospitals and health systems, health plans and statewide associations, has launched a hardhitting and disruptive campaign, “COVID-19 Isn’t Taking A Holiday,” to urgently motivate Minnesotans to mask up, keep their distance and do their part to fight the community spread of COVID-19 now.

COVID-19 isn’t taking a holiday
As COVID-19 infection rates soar to record levels and with the Thanksgiving holiday in just a few days, this effort is designed to immediately increase awareness of how the actions Minnesotans take during this holiday season will inevitably lead to the illness and deaths of kids, college students, spouses and partners, and parents and grandparents, and how it will drastically affect future holiday celebrations.

“For eight months, our healthcare heroes have been caring for our communities,” said Rahul Koranne, MD, president and chief executive officer of Minnesota Hospital Association. “Our hospitals are full and we expect them to get fuller as the number of cases increase. Our healthcare heroes – the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, lab workers, aides, environmental services personnel and more – are asking you to support them by wearing a mask, physically distancing, washing your hands and laying low. They are no longer the front line against COVID-19. They are the last line of defense – the last chance for an infected Minnesotan who needs hospitalization. The public is the front line.”

We are out of time to be “Minnesota nice”

• COVID-19 has resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 Minnesotans.
• There are nearly 2,000 Minnesotans currently hospitalized with the disease.
• COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers due to community spread continues to rise.
• Only 49% of Americans always wear a mask in public, yet universal mask-wearing could save between 100,000 to 500,000 lives.
• Nearly 2,500 young adults (age 15-34) have died as a result of COVID-19 infection.

Wear a mask, do your part
The campaign’s core message is “Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Do your part.” The campaign begins this week with a series of statewide broadcast television ads and social media messages focused on the Thanksgiving holiday. It will evolve throughout the next several weeks with provocative imagery and messages appealing to Minnesotans to take action now to help control the spread, reduce hospital admissions and save lives.

“We are extremely concerned about the trajectory of the community spread,” said Koranne. “Our healthcare systems have thousands of care team members out with COVID, caring for a family member with COVID or home quarantining because they have been exposed in the community. Our hospitals care for not just patients with COIVD but other Minnesotans with trauma and illness. We urge Minnesotans to come together with grit and resolve in the next few weeks with a unified goal to reduce community transmission and protect our healthcare workers so they can remain at work and help save lives.”