Defenders say bars in Minnesota are trying to halt COVID-19, Star Tribune, 930p 6/27/20
... The 507 [in Mankato] was one of four Minnesota bars — two in Mankato and two in Minneapolis — where clusters of coronavirus infections in young adults have recently turned up, the Minnesota Department of Health said Friday. The others were Rounders Sports Bar & Grill in Mankato and Cowboy Jack's [downtown Minneapolis] and the Kollege Klub [Dinkytown], both in Minneapolis.

After Midnight Group, which owns Cowboy Jack's downtown, said Saturday that it's indefinitely closing that bar and Cowboy Slim's in Uptown due to what it described as "violence, vandalism and civil unrest" in their surrounding neighborhoods. It did not make reference to any COVID-19 health concerns.

[On Saturday] "It's [Minnesota Department of Health] been extremely vague on how we're supposed to proceed," Wegman [owner of the 507] said. "I personally don't know what more we can do other than close to stop the spread."

... The Health Department said more than 30 cases had been identified among people who went to Cowboy Jack's in Minneapolis and the Kollege Klub in Dinkytown between June 14 and June 21.

And roughly 100 people who visited the 507 and/or Rounders Sports Bar & Grill the weekend of June 12-14 were infected. On Saturday, Ehresmann said there were 39 cases associated with the 507, including 32 cases where infected people also visited Rounders.

Dinkytown's Kollege Klub linked to 22 new COVID-19 cases, Minnesota Daily, 6/26/20
Some social media users (

Link to tweet

) have criticized the recent overcrowding of Kollege Klub since the state eased restrictions on bars. Other posts showed lines of customers wrapping around the building waiting to get inside.