Gov. Walz Extends COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency

(John Autey/Pioneer Press via AP,Pool)

ST.PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Thursday that he has extended the COVID-19 peacetime emergency due to the record number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to the virus.

“COVID-19 is taking a deadly toll on our communities and putting a strain on our health care system,” said Governor Walz. “As cases rise throughout the Midwest, it’s more important than ever that we have access to tools to fight this pandemic and protect Minnesotans’ health and well-being.”

Earlier today Minnesota set a record high in new single-day cases reporting 7,228 new cases of the coronavirus.

The governor’s office released a statement Thursday saying, “Minnesota’s case positivity rate is above 10 percent, twice the level at which COVID-19 spread is considered controllable.”

“The situation in Minnesota is incredibly serious,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “We need to be able to respond quickly to rapidly-evolving circumstances so that we can keep Minnesotans safe and save lives. We are all in this together.”

Extending the peacetime emergency allows the Governor to expand Minnesota’s testing capacity; protects Minnesotans against evictions and wage garnishment; provides expedited procurement power for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other equipment; allows Minnesota to follow the advice of public health experts in combatting the spread of COVID-19; protects workers from unsafe working conditions; requires Minnesotans to wear a face-covering in certain settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and provides economic relief and stability to Minnesotans and small businesses impacted by the pandemic.