Minnesota House passes new protection for front-line workers

Lawmakers are moving closer to passing legislation that will ensure first responders and health care workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 qualify for workers compensation, even if they can't prove they caught the virus at work.

The House passed the bill 130-4 and sent it to the Senate for its expected approval Tuesday.

Under the new rules, a doctor's diagnosis of COVID-19 without a test to confirm it will be acceptable. Minnesota's count of COVID-19 cases meanwhile surpassed 1,000.

Health officials have reported 83 new cases, taking the state's total to 1,069. There have been four new deaths, for a total of 34.