SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Last night, Governor Walz announced a 30 day extension of the peacetime emergency and that he will allow his Stay at Home order to expire on May 18. The Stay at Home order is being replaced by a new order encouraging Minnesotans to stay close to home but allows for gatherings of friends and family of 10 people or less. Retail businesses will be allowed to resume at 50 percent capacity if they have a social distancing plan, but restaurants, bars, gyms, salons and other venues that attract large crowds will remain closed until June 1.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements:
“All Minnesotans owe a duty of care to each other,” said Speaker Hortman. “We have a responsibility to be considerate of each other and do the things that are smart and proven to reduce transmission of this deadly disease. Minnesotans have trusted Governor Walz through this crisis and he has done an excellent job. Now he is putting his trust and his faith in the people of Minnesota. I hope Minnesotans show him that his trust was warranted. The Minnesota House of Representatives will continue to focus on legislation to provide Minnesotans with greater economy security during this pandemic.”
“Governor Walz is taking cautious steps toward opening our state, but we all have a responsibility to each other to maintain social distancing and follow health guidelines,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “Wearing a mask and social distancing are respectful to our neighbors, our health care workers, and other Minnesotans. We still need to do all that we can to slow the spread of this virus and prevent our health care system from being overwhelmed.”