Rochester asks Walz to enact 'shelter-in-place' order
The City of Rochester is urging Gov. Tim Walz to enact further measures in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
On Monday, the city council authorized a resolution supporting a so-called “shelter-in-place” order. Such a move would further restrict daily activity and force businesses deemed non-essential to temporarily close.
Similar measures have already been enacted in about a half dozen states, including Wisconsin and Michigan. Though policies differ from state to state, they generally require residents to stay home unless they are leaving for critical needs such as groceries or medical care.
The resolution passed by the council also recommends allowing people to leave their homes for outdoor activity — as long as they maintain six feet of social distancing — and for picking up supplies needed to work from home.
[City leaders said Monday that Mayo Clinic also supports a shelter-in-place order. The Clinic did not immediately respond to our request for comment.]
It should be noted that the city resolution is non-binding — meaning it is ultimately up to the governor to authorize such an action.
“This is communicating the message that we understand this is necessary… that this going to save the lives of potentially some of our love ones,” said Council Member Michael Wojcik, who joined four of his colleagues in voting for the motion. “It’s the hard thing to do. It’s the right thing to do.”
Mayor Kim Norton, who has been in contact with the governor’s staff, also expressed support for the resolution. In response to concerns about whether the city would be overstepping its authority by passing the resolution, she said it would not be interpreted by Walz in that way.
“I think he would welcome a show of support and a resolution from this community and others, as the decisions he has to make are quite difficult,” said Norton. “He’s trying to gauge whether we are ready to move in this direction.”
Earlier in the day Monday, Walz said he was not ready to issue a stay-at-home order, though he continues to monitor the situation to determine if the strategy would be effective in slowing the outbreak.
Citing the latest models, the governor estimated that somewhere between 40 and 80 percent could eventually wind up becoming infected with the virus. He noted, however, that the “vast majority will recover without hospitalization.”
“Those that need [hospitalization], we need to ensure they're able to get it,” he said. “This whole battle is about bending the curve, lengthening out the time of an infection rate."
What is considered essential business?
Under the resolution passed by the city, the following would be considered essential business. Again, this would all still require approval from the governor.
a. Healthcare operations.
b. Human services operations.
c. Essential government functions.
d. Essential infrastructure functions (utilities, public transit, garbage collection).
e. Grocery stores.
f. Food, beverage and agriculture businesses.
g. Media.
h. Gas stations and repair shops for vehicles, including bicycles.
i. Critical trades such as security, HVAC, sanitation and other trades necessary for
essential business operations.
j. Delivery, postal, shipping and logistics companies.
k. Educational institutions for facilitating distance learning and for providing food
services for pick-up or takeaway only.
l. Laundry Services
m. Restaurants for consumption off-premises.
n. Supplies for essential business operations.
o. Day care centers for essential employees.
p. Professional services including, accounting, legal, insurance and real estate
services.
q. Manufacture, distribution and supply chain for essential industries.
r. Hotels and motels.
s. Funeral services.
t. Home based care services.
u. Transportation.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
