Gov. Walz orders bars, gyms and entertainment venues closed as Covid cases climb
In a virtual announcement reminiscent of March and April, the first days of the fight against Covid-19, Gov. Tim Walz officially ‘turned the dials’ backward for Minnesota, limiting person-to-person interaction in response to the worst two weeks of the outbreak since those dark spring days.
All on-site indoor and outdoor dining will be closed, and any social gatherings outside the immediate household will be paused. Gyms, fitness studios, public pools, and youth sporting events will all shut down, effective Friday. The restrictions will be in effect for at least four weeks.
Gov. Walz’s order did not go as far as the original stay-at-home orders announced in the spring, however; beauty salons and houses of worship, among other places and activities, will be allowed to remain open for the time being.
“No one thinks that this is easy, and no one thinks that this is fair,” said Gov. Walz. “This virus is not fair. This virus disproportionately hits people of color — our Black communities are twice as likely to get sick — and no one thinks it’s fair to the businesses that it hurts.”
News of Gov. Walz’s announcement hit social media earlier this afternoon, leading some local businesses — like Little Thistle Brewery — to announce their plans before the restrictions were made public. Little Thistle will switch to a takeout-only model starting on Tuesday.
“While we’re all working to keep our employees and community safe, this time has been extremely difficult and some of our small, local businesses will not survive,” wrote a brewery representative on Facebook Tuesday afternoon.
First District Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R) quickly rebuked the governor’s announcement, calling on him to immediately relinquish his emergency powers.
“These new lockdown regulations represent an unnecessary threat to our economy, livelihoods and society, and offer little benefit to those most vulnerable,” said Rep. Hagedorn.
The governor said businesses forced to close were doing a “public service” by refusing to let the virus spread inside their doors. If residents and businesses can weather the storm over the coming weeks and months, he added, eventual Covid-19 vaccines would improve the situation by the spring — bringing the state, at last, to a semblance of ‘normal.’
“By the time the trees are budding again and the Twins are batting again, we’ll have whipped this thing,” said Gov. Walz.
Video: full press conference
Cover graphic: screenshot / Walz’s virtual address on Wednesday
