Friends and neighbors,
On Wednesday, Gov. Walz issued an executive order directing Minnesotans to stay at home for the time being to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus. I have received some questions about what this order means, so I wanted to provide some information. Here is what you need to know.
THE BASICS
First, the governor’s office put together a comprehensive FAQ about the executive order. It will likely answer most of the questions you have.
The order asks Minnesotans to stay at home as much as possible from Friday, March 27 at 11:59pm through April 10 at 5:00pm, and only leave their residence for essential needs. It sounds scary, but in practice this is not a significant change from what we are currently doing.
There are still a number of reasons that you can, and should, leave your home:
- Health and safety activities, such as obtaining emergency services or medical supplies
- Outdoor activities, such as walking pets, hiking, running, biking, hunting, or fishing
- Necessary Supplies and Services, such as getting groceries, gasoline, or carry-out
- Essential and interstate travel, such as returning to home from outside this state
- Care of others, such as caring for a family member, friend, or pet in another household
- Displacement, such as moving between emergency or homeless shelters if you are without a home
- Relocation to ensure safety, such as relocating to a different location if your home has been unsafe due to domestic violence, sanitation, or essential operations reasons
- Tribal Activities & Lands, such as activities by members within the boundaries of their tribal reservations
WHAT BUSINESSES REMAIN OPEN
The order asks most businesses to close, and most Minnesotans not to go to work unless they are performing an essential service. Officials believe that 78% of Minnesota workers will be considered “essential” but we don’t have a lot of specifics yet. In addition, most businesses were already closed under a previous executive order.
Critical services will remain open. This includes:
- Hospitals, Clinics
- Food markets and grocery stores
- Food shelves
- Pharmacies
- Convenience stores
- Liquor stores
- Child Care facilities
- News organizations
- Funeral Homes
- Banks
- Hardware stores
- Post office
That is by no means an exhaustive list. If you are wondering whether or not your business is essential, you can use this resource from the North American Industry Classification System. Make sure you know what your industry code is, because the answer is not always clear-cut.
HOW TO SEEK EXEMPTION IF YOUR BUSINESS IS CONSIDERED NON-ESSENTIAL:
You can request an exemption from the governor’s order by filling out an application here: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/business-exemptions/
The administration has also set up an email address where workers and business owners can find out if their business is considered essential under the executive order. That address is criticalsectors@state.mn.us.
CONTACT ME
Finally, even though the legislature has temporarily suspended most official activity, I am continuing to work on the issues important to you, including Coronavirus. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact my office any time at sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn or 651-296-2159. We will answer your questions as soon as we possibly can.