Gov. Walz Announces New Restrictions as COVID-19 Cases Climb

ST. PAUL, Minn.– With another day of 5,000-plus cases, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the state is at a dangerous point in the pandemic. Monday night, he took action in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep hospital beds open for emergencies.

Governor Walz added new Coronavirus restrictions for the first time since the pandemic began in March. Citing the high number of cases and shrinking hospital capacity.

“With the amount of community spread we have, we’re not going to get a handle on this unless we take a pause on it,” said the governor.

The new order will start Friday at 11:59 p.m. and will last until December 18. Until that point, bars and restaurants will be take-out only. Fitness centers, entertainment venues, and event spaces will be completely shut down.

And with Thanksgiving and the holiday season just around the corner, Walz is prohibiting in-person gatherings with people who are outside their household.

“I undersand it’s not easy and it’s not fair but it’s a sacrifice we need to make,” said Walz. “If we don’t do that and we continue this spread, we will with absolute certainty put our hospitals at risk and those that need the care as well as the care providers.”

Not everything is closed down under these new restrictions. Grocery and retail stores will remain open as well as hair salons.

Schools and child care providers will remain open according to the guidelines set in the summer. Places of worship will stay open as well.

The governor says Minnesotans were doing well at containing COVID-19. But as surrounding states saw surges, cases in Minnesota went up exponentially.

“The new normal is no longer sustainable,” said Walz. “It took us 29 weeks to get the first 100,000 cases, it took only the next 6 weeks to get to 200,000 cases, and it’s going to take less than three weeks to get to 300,000.”

Walz voiced his support for those struggling during this time, adding there is a light at the end of the tunnel with a potential vaccine on the way. Then he urged Minnesotans to follow social distancing guidelines to help slow the spread.

“The bright spot of this is the moves we take now will start to bend that at just the time when the potential for a vaccine is coming,” said Walz.

Governor Walz says there is a strong probability that vaccines for COVID-19 will be available by the end of this four week pause. He says if available, it would first go to those in care facilities and to frontline workers.

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson released a statement fully supporting the governor’s decision. She’s encouraging people to support local businesses through all of this like carry out from a local restaurant, shopping curbside or safely inside at local retail shop.