By Norma Dittman
Fulda Free Press staff writer
Governor Tim Walz stated on Thursday, April 23rd, that academic schools will remained closed for the remainder of the school year. However, he allowed certain businesses to reopen as of Monday, April 23rd.
During his press conference, Governor Walz stated that the theme in letters he has received is that Minnesotans have handled COVID-19 restrictions and StayHome MN orders in a very Minnesota way. “You have stayed home, and social distanced and because of that, we have flattened the curve,” he said. He also said that by staying home Minnesotans have saved lives and bought the state critical time to increase hospital beds and needs, purchase ventilators and others supplies to treat corona virus patients. “The fact of the matter is that we are all learning from this,” Governor Walz commented. The sheer numbers of are going to go up because of our testing. The critical test is how many lives are saved because of the care.”
Governor Walz continued by saying, “Everything we do has a trade-off. At the heart of this is people. I can assure you that at the center of the discussion about COVID-19 is how Minnesotans can live healthy, safe and happy lives while keeping people functioning the way they should.”
He announced that more businesses were being allowed to return to operation on Monday, April 27th. This means that between 80,000 and 100,000 workers will be allowed to resume their employment one full week before the end of the StayHomeMN order. The workers who have been allowed to return to work are those who work in non-customer facing industrial and office-based businesses who cannot work from home.
The Industrial businesses include places of employment where goods are being created. Also included are agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, mining, construction, utilities and manufacturing, wholesale trade, and warehousing.
Certain offices were also able to return to work on Monday, as well. Those places of business were designated as an office space where people primarily do their work at their desk and whose work is primarily not customer facing.
Included in the ability for businesses to return to work was an individual choice. Businesses do not have to re-open if they don’t desire to do so at this time. But, should a business open and employees do not return to work, they will no longer be eligible for unemployment.
Along with these businesses returning to work came a warning from Governor Walz that he may have to reimpose restrictions on the businesses should there be a major outbreak of COVID-19.
The businesses within the state of Minnesota that still remain closed are those that sell goods and services directly to customers including retail stores. Restaurants can continue with curb-side pick-up and delivery.
