City of Bloomington, MN The BUZZ: 2020, 26 Aug 2020

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From YouTube: Bloomington Today: The BUZZ August 26, 2020

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State and local health officials to offer free COVID-19 testing in Bloomington, learn what to expect if you haven’t been tested before and the City considers declaring racism a public health crisis in Bloomington.

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Welcome to bloomington today, I'm emily taplin thanks for joining us. First, we bring you the buzz for the week of august 26. Through september, 1st state and local health officials will be offering free covid19 testing in bloomington. On september 1st, it will be held at kennedy high school in the main parking lot from 11 a.m. To 7 pm.

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It is available to anyone who wants to be tested. Even if you don't have symptoms in order to participate, you do need to register ahead of time. Drive up and walk up options are available. You don't need insurance or an id to select your time slot and learn more head to the city's website at the address on your screen.

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If you need interpretation or help signing up call.

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If you haven't had a covid test before here's a look at what to expect when you get a nasal swab during a state-run event,.

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Hi, my name is mandy and I'm going to run through how to do a nasal swab when you either walk up or drive up in your car.

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So the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to ask you if you've had a nasal swab? If you say yes, I'm just going to give you minimal instructions because you've had it before.

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If you say no, I'm gonna tell you that I'm gonna go in about two inches in your nostril roll it around for four to five seconds. It doesn't hurt. It's usually just more irritating usually makes your eye water, some people sneeze some people cough for test results. I'm going to tell you that if you're positive, someone will call you within three days and give you further instructions if you're negative you'll get an email or a text.

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Message then, I'm going to ask you your name and your birth date, I'm going to have you pull your mask down and then I'm going to kind of tell you I'm going to go in your nose and then roll it around.

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Can I get your first and last name.

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So it's just a little swab.

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Doing good halfway there, there we go, and that is all to it.

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It just took a little bit. It's very easy.

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Well, this is my first time and it wasn't that bad. It was pretty.

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When it was all over, I just wanted to sneeze, and that was it no pain. No, nothing.

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The city council is considering declaring racism a public health crisis in bloomington. At a study meeting on august 17, the council discussed racism as a threat to the health and well-being of members of the black, indigenous and people of color by pop communities.

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This consideration comes as the city sees covet, 19 disproportionately affecting bypoc residents in both cases and deaths. The council has asked staff to provide information about the level of resources, staffing and funding it would require if a resolution to declare racism, a public health crisis was adopted.

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On august 6, the city hosted youth speaks a virtual town hall. It was a space for youth, specifically by poc youth, to share their experiences and thoughts about the future of bloomington, with people of power and influence. I've been.

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Ready to pour my whole life out on these people and let them know about what everybody else is going through and struggling through, and so it's it's it's stressful. You know it's so stressful and it's just time for these people in the office to to know what's really going on in the world when you know they know they're making these calls these actions and stuff, but not actually being to witness or when you're witnessing it. It's it's more like in a bad way, you're witnessing it versus in a good way in a better situation.

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So I was very excited to be able to talk to them.

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We can't do anything in the community without communication I mean that's. I mean it's in the same word: community and communication, it's necessary and when we're not willing to listen as uh as adults or we're not willing to listen as a city, um then we're we're blocking off channels of communication.

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That's the thing that I want to to speak to more than anything that we need to make sure that as our community as a city uh as organizations that we are focused wholeheartedly on protecting our youth and and empowering them, because if we lose that we lose our future.

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The event was hosted in partnership with the city oasis for youth, treehouse hope and bloomington public schools, office of educational equity, to view the full-length event head to blm dot, mn, slash, youth speaks students in the bloomington school district will be starting the year with distance learning on august 17th, the school board voted 7-0 to start the year. This way for at least the first month, originally they'd hoped to start the academic year in a hybrid model, with both in-person and distance. The district found it didn't have the capacities to staff a hybrid model.

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The district may revisit this decision at the end of september visit the school district's website for the latest information parks and recreation is going mobile and bringing the fun to you on weekdays. From now, through september weather, permitting you can find the mobile wreck vehicle at different parks across the city. The programming is free and you don't need to register.

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Mobile wreck is intended for youth of all ages, so typically, the age ranges that we see are anywhere from younger elementary through middle school or high school. A variety of activities are available at each of our locations.

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So, depending upon what your interest or ability level is, it might vary what activities you actually do, but it is open and free for all ages. Bloomington parks and recreation thrives on the ability to provide recreational and socialization opportunities for kids, and this year has been very strange and a lot of our kids.

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They look forward to our park and rec programs to be able to engage with other kids, get their physical exertion out and just enjoy all the beautiful parks of bloomington and through offering mobile wreck we're taking what was an unfortunate summer and turning it around for the positive and people are able to come back and enjoy our program. So we still have warm summer weather and be able to socialize in a safe, controlled environment.

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Mobile wreck is a part of project play, providing leisure activities for youth, which was made possible by a grant awarded to the city from hennepin county to find creative ways to make summer fun amidst covid for dates times and park. Locations head to blm.mn play pop-up soccer is another program provided by project play youth in grades, six to nine are invited to smith and sunrise parks to learn how to play soccer. The two-hour time slots include fundamental instruction and scrimmage time.

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A great opportunity for kids to just come out and have a space to play and let out their energy. We are taking safety precautions, staff, we're wearing masks, we're offering masks to participants, and we also sanitize the equipment. Before and after after play, we also play games where we try to stay six feet apart as much as possible.

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We so far have had pretty small crowds if we do get more participants, we'll probably just spread out a little bit more or start smaller games throughout the field, but it's a great opportunity for families to come, because we accept all ages.

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We are geared towards sixth through ninth grade. However, we anybody that shows up just come play with us and it's a good time.

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For more information head to the address on your screen, that is the buzz on bloomington today for the week of august 26th through september 1st. If you would like to watch other stories from the show go to this week's playlist, there you'll find mayor tim bussy in this week's council minute, plus a look at the latest inez greenberg gallery exhibit thanks for.

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