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Lowertown COVID-19 Local Impact Report – Week 2, Part 2: March 16-19th, 2020

March 16, 2020 | COVID-19 News

Lowertown Community Response

COVID-19 News & Information
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Please submit any new reports to Lowertown.info via the contact page or email at info@lowertown.info. Follow @lowertowninfo on Twitter for regular updates about new additions to this timeline.

Nigel Parry/Lowertown.info—Week 2, Part 2: March 16-19th, 2020: Tracking the local impact of the COVID-19 virus in Lowertown, Saint Paul, MN. This report begins ten days after the first reported Minnesotan case of COVID-19, by which time the number of detected infected has risen to 54. Restaurants, bars, and cafes have been remarkably slow to even comment publicly, considering both the local, state, and federal government have been strongly recommending to shut down gatherings.

Yesterday, the CDC recommendations reduced the local recommendation not to have gatherings of over 250 people or more to just 50. Today, the first collective sounds of hospitality ostriches removing their heads from the sand could be heard all over Lowertown. Later in the day, the governor himself was to take all of that out of their slow hands.

A project was launched to take a “Community Temperature Check”, as focus on grasping the bigger picture hasn’t allowed us to hear a whole lot from individuals in Lowertown. Submissions will make it into reporting on this site and beyond. Reports of impacts are listed in chronological order, by day.

Monday March 16th, 2020

  • The last few days have been exhausting to document because there has been so much to document compared with the week before. It’s expected that people don’t react to things they see on the news until things get real for them personally but, hey folks, if you’re going to complain that the government has dropped the Corona ball, there’s no shortage of local examples of people in the community doing exactly the same thing. As of last night, only 9 out of the 25 restaurants, bars, and cafes had even posted any acknowledgement of how the Coronavirus was already changing our lives and the lives of those around us. For the record those venues were:

    Saint Dinette (March 9th); The Buttered Tin & Black Dog (March 11); Urban Wok (March 13); Kyatchi St. Paul, OCTO fishbar, the Dark Horse Bar & Eatery, and Perkolet* (March 14); Barrel Theory (March 15).

    Thankfully, today, there’s a few more who have realized that the community around them and their patrons have been wary about going to any place with a crowd. But they were too slow. On the same day, the governor would later mandate all restaurant/bar/cafe openings, leaving people with the option of curbside pickup or delivery.

  • According to the Minnesota Department of Health, as of today after approximately 1,893 patients tested, there have been 54 positives. That’s 1 positive out of every 35 tested. 10 days ago, that ratio was lower, at 1 in 49. Expect the wave. As with every day, Lowertown.info updates its visualizations on the homepage of this COVID-19 special section, showing MN positive test results, and a second showing numbers of tests, number of positive results, and—so far, thank God, we’re still at zero—the number of deaths.
  • At 11:15am, Station 81 in Union Depot posted an update on its Facebook page:

    In response to COVID-19 concerns, Station 81 will be limiting hours of operation until further notice. We will be open for lunch only (11a.m. to 2p.m.) and closed Saturday and Sunday. We are taking extra steps to prevent the spread of the virus by increased sanitization of high frequency areas and all person-to-person surfaces. Please continue to support local businesses by ordering take-out or purchasing Gift Cards for later! We will continue to update you as we adapt to these “temporary” norms. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we will see you all soon!

     

  • At 2pm today, the Bulldog Lowertown posted on Twitter that, “Friends, neighbors and employees: Unfortunately we will be closing our doors today at 4pm and NOT be open tomorrow. More details to follow stay safe.”

  • At 2:30pm, Just/Us Eatery & Events posted a closing notice on its Facebook page. The entire text follows:

    We’ve been weighing our options as far as how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic for days now. At first the challenge was staying open and viable during this time. But now, and more importantly, the challenge is protecting our staff, our clientele, the general public, and ourselves. We love this city and the greatest show of love we can think of is distancing our community from potential exposure. We were gearing up for patio season and so excited to unveil the updated spring menu but this is so much bigger than patio season (believe it or not). This is about compassion, safety, and social responsibility. Full transparency – we’re scared of what this could mean for the future of the restaurant and the present lives of everyone it employs. But this is the right thing to do.
    .
    We won’t be doing takeout orders. We plan to halt operations completely. We don’t want to put ANYONE in harms way.
    .
    Right now, the plan is to close for two weeks (until March 31st). We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you all updated as our plans adjust. Wash your fucking hands FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. Take care of yourselves. We will see you on the other side of this.
    .
    PLEASE MESSAGE US IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A GIFT CARD. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES DURING THIS TRYING TIME. THANK YOU ALL! ?

  • It’s unclear exactly when this happened, as the venue doesn’t post on Facebook or Twitter but the Hat Trick Lounge has posted an undated Coronavirus impact statement on its website:

    Spring shows at the Trick! Notice: Sadly, early spring shows are cancelled out of an abundance of caution over the spread of coronavirus. Hopefully music can resume soon. See schedule for details.

  • At 5:45pm, during a MN Governor Tim Walz press conference, Minnesotan celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern was tasked with announcing that ALL restaurants in MN are declared closed for dine-in starting tomorrow at 5pm.
  • Just before 7pm, Metro Transit sent out an email saying, “As part of the ongoing, shared effort to address our operational challenges, and to limit the spread of COVID-19, Metro Transit will suspend all nightly bus and light rail service from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. beginning at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17.” As the light rail is already virtually deserted at night, one can only assume this is an excuse to stop the homeless sleeping on the light rail.”
  • At 10:30pm, Pastry Chef and owner of The Buttered Tin, Alicia Hinze, shared an update on Facebook on the temporary closure of her cafe and bakery in Lowertown.

  • This is the project de jour: The last 10 days have been a whirlwind, in which many of us have been trying to get a handle on the Coronavirus Crisis, how it’s likely to impact our lives, and what we should be doing—as individuals, families, groups of friends, and local businesses. Right now, we all need to hear from each other. In the process of trying to understand the bigger picture, the personal stories of our neighbors have been back-burnered.No more! Please fill out the questionnaire below. Your answers will be used in reporting in order to compile a “community temperature check”, so we can all see how those around us are thinking, acting and planning during this very personal, community threat—Nigel Parry/Lowertown.info

Tuesday March 17th, 2020

  • According to the Minnesota Department of Health, as of today after approximately 2,336 patients tested, there have been 60 positives. As with every day, Lowertown.info updates its visualizations on the homepage of this COVID-19 special section, showing MN positive test results, and a second showing numbers of tests, number of positive results, and—so far, thank God, we’re still at zero—the number of deaths.
  • At 5:30am, True Stone Coffee Roasters in the Market House building posted an update on their Facebook page: “After careful consideration, we’ve decided to close our Lowertown Cafe beginning today, 3/17, at 2pm. We will continue to monitor the situation and adhere to recommendations from federal and local governments. We hope to reopen once public health officials declare it safe to do so. We will still be fulfilling orders placed via truestonecoffee.com/shop, and encourage you to enjoy our coffee from the safety of your own home.”

  • At 10am, Legacy Chocolates posted an update on its Facebook page, saying:

    As many of you may be aware, the Governor of MN has mandated that all restaurants and bars in the state close during the COVID-19 outbreak unless they offer a to-go service, which fortunately we do. Therefore, we are keeping our doors open to the public at this time but taking measures to protect both our customers and staff. As with everyone during this time of uncertainty, we are assessing our operations day to day. We may decide to reduce our hours of operation in the near future as we are aware that the majority of our customer base have been asked to work from home. We appreciate all of your support and patronage over the years and will miss seeing many of your faces daily, but your health and safety is of the upmost importance. Take care of yourselves and we hope to see you soon!
    – The Legacy Team

  • At 10:15am, the Black Dog posted a GoFundMe campaign on its Facebook group. Part of the text read:

    We, Stacy, Sara and Andy Remke have owned The Black Dog Cafe in Lowertown for over 22 years. The Black Dog Cafe has lived through many changes including: The RNC, light rail construction, stadium construction, two recessions, flooding, polar vortex and now the Corona-virus shutdown. We are still here. We have many exceptional and loyal employees that depend on us for their livelihood. In the past we have put our heads down and done what we could to survive. This is different. Being closed for 3-6 weeks is something we may not be able to recover from. Funds raised will be used to pay rent and utilities and provide support to our employees during the shut down. Owners are not eligible for unemployment. We are doing all we can in these next few weeks such as offering delivery to downtown residents and businesses and curb side pick up to care for our friends and neighbors and to keep our employees working. Please support us now so that we can continue to be a part of Lowertown and its future.

     

  • At 11:40am today, the Bulldog Lowertown posted on Twitter that, “Friends, neighbors and the rest of The Bulldog family: We will remain closed until March 27th. We look forward to seeing everyone then. Stay safe.” This of course is redundant after Gov. Walz’s announcement late yesterday afternoon that all restaurants, bars, and cafes will be closed. Social media has been relatively silent this morning as businesses scramble to deal with a myriad of different challenges before the 5pm mandatory closure tonight. Establishments are permitted to be open for takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery.

  • At 2pm today, Creators Space posted a video update on their Facebook page “to tell you what’s going on at CS & the coffee house for the next few weeks”:

  • At 3pm, Kyatchi St. Paul published an update on its Facebook page that read: “Health, safety, and sustainability is our top priority. This message comes with a heavy heart. Kyatchi St. Paul and Minneapolis will be temporarily closing 3/16 until further notice as we all band together and protect ourselves and our staff and community from COVID-19. Stay safe and stay connected to one another. We are all going to need kindness and community to get through this crazy time.”:

  • By 3:45pm, Creators Space was back with a follow-up post on Facebook directing people to an announcement on its website, “Hello to our beautiful Creators Space Community! Please see our update regarding our temporary closure of Creators Space to the public AND our Creators Cup Coffee House take-out information.”


    Titled “Creators Space + Creators Cup Update”, the statement read:

    We are in the midst of an unusual time and wanted to provide an update on decisions that we have had to make over the past few days that impact our beloved Creators Space community.

    While there is a ton of uncertainty around us, one thing we know for sure is that safety is our number one priority. To ensure that we are doing everything that we can to contribute to the reduction in the spread of illness, we have made the decision to close our doors to the general public through March 31st.

    Please read below about classes, events, and our beloved Creators Cup Coffee House!

    We are constantly monitoring and will continue to make adjustments and update you as we begin to reschedule events and experiences and look for continued communications and updates to our website as we add virtual ways of staying connected!

    Wishing you all an abundance of health, well-being, and comfort.

    With Love,

    The Creators Space Family

    Classes and Events Cancelled …but we’re going VIRTUAL..!!

    All classes and events have been cancelled through March 31st and will continue to monitor the situation, making determinations about potentially extending this date if we need to.

    This includes both classes and events offered by Creators Space, as well as events hosted by our members. Creative expression, meditation, and other outlets are critical during times like these to combat the fear and anxiety that so many are struggling with. We will do our best to share the Creators Space magical vibe virtually over the coming weeks!

    Watch for updates on our Creators Space Facebook and Instagram pages and share in the fun!

  • Around 4:30pm, I visited the nearby Lunds & Byerlys supermarket in Downtown Saint Paul to see the state of things.


    There were no onions, barely any potatoes, no paper goods or cleaning products, the bread was pretty picked through, almost zero water bottles (why? that one I don’t get. The taps are going to continue to work). Otherwise everything else was in stock and there were a few good BOGOs. There were long lines stretching back to the hot bar, unusual for Lunds. Lunds had shut down 3 of the 4 self checkouts and had someone there to help and wipe down the booth after each customer. And only 2 of the 4 regular checkouts staffed, spaced apart. After I ran my credit card, the cashier wiped down the credit card pad. Hell, thank you came out of my mouth without any need for prompting. Those peeps are on it. They have asked visitors to stay away from the store between 7am and 8am each morning, to allow for high risk patrons to shop first, after the overnight disinfecting and restocking. Reports from other supermarkets during this period are welcomed.

Wednesday March 18th, 2020

  • According to the Minnesota Department of Health, as of today after approximately 2,762 patients tested, there have been 77 positives. As with every day, Lowertown.info updates its visualizations on the homepage of this COVID-19 special section, showing MN positive test results, and a second showing numbers of tests, number of positive results, and—so far, thank God, we’re still at zero—the number of deaths.
  • At 8:45am, local pet store and day border Dreadlocks for Dingos announced that they are asking customers to remove leashes and collars on entry, and announced the cancellation of Saturday Puppy Play Time:

  • At 11:30am, Birch’s Lowertown posted on Facebook: “BIRCH’S LOWERTOWN CROWLER & BOTTLE SALES NOW AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY 12-6PM: Starting Thursday 3/19, Birch’s Lowertown will be open for To-Go Crowler and Bottle Sales out of our Taproom. The Taproom will be open for Crowlers, Bottles, Merchandise and Gift Card sales. This policy will stay in effect until further notice. Like our peers in the industry, our priority is to protect the health of our staff and our community, while continuing to strive to support local businesses. We appreciate your continued patronage through the turbulent times ahead.”

  • At 1pm, the Black Dog Cafe posted an update, saying:

    Can’t say enough about the amazing people and organizations that are coming out and supporting us in multiple ways. From our Bank, Drake Bank ordering lunch for employees, to Women’s March Minnesota for taking up a collection for us, to the Great Northern Lofts for organizing a building takeout, to some incredibly generous people on our Gofundme page. We are humbled and grateful. We will get through this together.

     

  • At 1:30pm, chef Justin Sutherland posted au update on Facebook:

    It is times like these when we as a community need to come together more than ever and take care of each other. For most of my life all me and my colleagues have known how to do is feed people.

    Tomorrow Thursday, March 19 at 2 PM our food truck Fare Well Foods will be parked in front of Public Kitchen offering free lunch for anyone and everyone no questions asked.

    Then at 3PM we will be opening as a free community farmers market too give away all of the perishables that will serve a much better purpose if the stomachs of our neighbors than rotting in a cooler.

    Please if you or anybody you know is in need or hungry come by to eat and grab what you need.

    In order to conform with health practices please bring your own shopping bag and we will be allowing people into the market 10 at a time and rubber gloves will be provided.

    If there are any restaurants with perishables to donate for this cause they can be delivered to Public Kitchen at any time or shoot me a message.

  • At 3:15pm, Local brewpub Barrel Theory posted on Facebook, saying:

    We wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that has come out to support us and buy some crowlers over the last few days. This is going to be a difficult time for many small businesses and the overwhelming sense of community from so many people has our hearts overflowing with pride and hope. We’ll continue to make our crowlers available at our taproom from noon – 6pm, Monday – Saturday. We will be closed on Sundays so we can all take a day off with our families and loved ones. ⁣

     

Thursday March 19th, 2020

  • According to the Minnesota Department of Health, as of today after approximately 3,038 patients tested, there have been 89 positives. As with every day, Lowertown.info updates its visualizations on the homepage of this COVID-19 special section, with one graph showing MN COVID-19 positive test results, and a second graph showing total numbers of tests, the number of positive results, and—-so far, thank God, we’re still at zero—-the number of deaths. Other visualisations are planned.
  • Today, Lowertown.info published the second in its “Community Temperature Check” series of interviews with Lowertown residents about the Coronavirus crisis. This edition features interviews with Brigette Anderson, Dianne Southard, Lisa Mathieson, Meredith Gear, Pam Krank, and Ta-coumba Aiken.
  • At 9am, Saint Dinette owner Tim Niver announced on Twitter that his three restaurants would be reopening today with a new, simple menu format, and delivery/takeout only:

  • Just before 2:30pm, a local healthcare worker and Lowertown resident announced on social media that they had tested positive for COVID-19. They had been tested on March 12th and are self quarantining at home.
  • At 2:30pm, the Buttered Tin gave a shout out to a customer who was clearly paying attention to the nationwide trend of people supporting their locally closed eateries and watering holes:

  • Also at 2pm, Station 81 in the Union Depot announced on Facebook that “Breaking Bread is here for you. Catering is still in operation! Please continue to order our fresh, made-from-scratch food for delivery or pick-up and support our staff and mission.”

  • At 3pm, Union Depot announced the cancellation of the March 28 “Plucked! Home Edition market”:

  • At 3:50pm, the Dark Horse posted a Twitter update that it would start doing takeaway, including Curbside pickup.

  • At 4:45pm, Just/Us posted an update: We’ve only been closed a few days now but we miss you all like crazy. Yesterday we managed to give most of our perishables to our staff and it was bittersweet – so happy to get (most of) the crew together again and to make sure we’re all eating well, sad to know that all of our futures are a little uncertain. It’s difficult not being able to give our employees any semblance of assuredness or comfort during these challenging times. But we’re trying to stay positive. Our love goes out to our fellow service industry workers that are in the same boat, and to our entire community.

    Many of you have reached out with interest in supporting us while we’re closed. We added a $25 gift card option to the shop section of our Facebook page and it’s officially live. Please check it out if you’d like to make a purchase. Thank you in advance! Remember – we’re all in this together. Please be especially kind and patient with others right now. <3

    https://www.facebook.com/justusrestaurant/shop/



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