Chairwoman of St. Paul school board in critical condition with COVID-19

Marny Xiong, the chairwoman of the St. Paul school board, is in critical condition with COVID-19. 

Amee Xiong wrote on social media that Marny and their father are both in critical condition and "relying heavily on the ventilator to get oxygen to their lungs," though it's not entirely clear how either one contracted the virus. 

She said her father experienced fever and chills for a week followed by shortness of breath, suspecting that he may have been sickened through work, while Marny was working from home when she fell ill. 

"Please pray for both of them. And please stay home. You only read about it but when it hits you close to home to the people you love, it’s a reality check," Amee Xiong wrote. 

Marny, 31, and her father are two of the 198 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Minnesota in intensive care. Minnesota critical-care cases have steadily increased over the past couple of weeks, with Friday's report from the state health department showing an increase of 16 patients from Thursday's report. 

Five-hundred-thirty-four people have died from complications due to COVID-19 in Minnesota. 

Dr. Joe Gothard, superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools, issued a statement after learning of Xiong's condition. 

"The SPPS community offers our support and positive thoughts for Marny Xiong and her family. We know her as a friend and fighter; a fighter for student equity, student opportunity and student achievement. Her spirit of not giving up has never been more important. We are grateful for the medical care she is receiving and we look forward to her return to health in the near future."

Xiong, a lifelong St. Paul resident who now lives in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood, joined the school board in 2018.