6-5-2020 COVID-19 Update – Governor Walz Loosens Restaurant Restrictions

MN Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Update for 6-5-2020

Read the 6-3-2020 COVID-19 Update from the Minnesota Department of Health Here

TODAY: Governor Walz Announced Next Steps in State’s Response to COVID-19

MN Governor Walz:

• Will lift some restrictions on indoor dining, restaurants will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity starting Wednesday, June 10.
• “We can’t get complacent and we can’t get lazy,” said Walz on reopening.
• Fitness centers will be allowed to operate 25% capacity with no more than 250 people starting June 10
• Indoor entertainment at movie theaters and other venues also allowed to open at 25% capacity, up to 250 people
• Swimming pools also allowed to reopen at 50% capacity.

Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm:

• Last two weeks there have been “kind of plateau” in cases with “small waves.”
• 26,980 confirmed cases since beginning of pandemic (up 712); 1,148 MN deaths since pandemic began (up 33 since day prior);
• 478 COVID-19 patients hospitalized (220 in ICU)
• Statewide, “we’re in good shape for critical care capacity.”
• Discourages complacency, social distancing remains very important.
• COVID-19 testing is recommended for protesters, 5 to 7 days after  participating in mass gatherings.
• Conducted 11,000 tests Thursday. Goal is get up over 20,000 per day.
• MN toward top of the states in testing per 10,000 people. (currently at 96 per 10,000). State doesn’t want to get lower than 50 per 10,000 people per week.
• Can’t predict in confidence what will happen in next couple months.
• “We have to learn to live with COVID-19,” said Malcolm. Vaccine a long ways away
• Believes further reopenings will increase risk of spread
• Won’t see full impact from recent protest in 2 to 3 weeks.

Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove:

• Says MN DEED working to help businesses affected by riots, working to get funding from federal Small Business Association
• “We are not going back to normal,” says Grove. Re-emphasizes wearing masks in public.
• Social distancing requirements come first.
• Strongly encourages restaurant customers to wear masks, reservations required.
• Hair salons and barber shop can up capacity to 50%.
• Places of worship can up capacity to 50%. (was previously 25%)
• Gym customers encouraged to wear masks when feasible
• Outdoor entertainment, 250 people max.
• Reopening pools, health guidelines show virus is not spread through water.
• Low-risk contact sports can do games.
• High-risk close-contact sports (such as basketball) can’t do games.
• Encourages those who can work from home to continue to do so.
• Minnesota’s unemployment insurance program will transition to federal help. Says there will be no interruptions in benefits.

Full Phase III Details Per Press Release from Gov. Walz Administration:

• • Restaurants can begin offering indoor dining while maintaining social distancing, requiring reservations, and seating no more than 50 percent occupancy.
  • Indoor social gatherings can take place with 10 people or less; outdoor social gatherings can take place with 25 people or less.
  • Gyms, personal fitness and yoga studios, and martial arts may open at 25 percent capacity.
  • Indoor entertainment venues, such as theaters and concert halls, can open at 25 percent capacity.
  • Recreational indoor entertainment venues, such as bowling alleys, arcades, and museums may open at 25 percent capacity.
  • Personal services, such as salons, tattoo parlors, and barbershops, may increase occupancy rates to 50 percent while requiring reservations.
  • Outdoor entertainment venues, such as sporting events, concerts, and theaters may open at 25 percent capacity.
  • Places of worship can increase occupancy rates to 50 percent.

Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero:

• Minnesota Department of Human Rights filed civil civil rights charge against Minneapolis Police Department
• Emergency court action and an agreed proposed court order details immediate structural changes that the MPD must implement:
  • Under the proposed court order, the city of Minneapolis agrees to the following terms:
    • Chokeholds are immediately banned
    • Police officers have a duty to report and intervene if another officer utilizes an unauthorized use of force
    • The use of crowd control weapons during protests and demonstrations may only be approved by the chief of police
    • Timely and transparent discipline decisions for police officers must be made
    • Body camera footage may be audited by the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department

Addressing COVID-19 Inequities

• Black people make up more than than 6% of Minnesota’s population, but more than 20% of its COVID-19 hospitalizations.
• Higher rates of chronic health problems have contributed to disparity, rates of diabetes and hypertension are higher among blacks in MN.
• All state agencies must translate COVID-19 materials in multiple languages, including Hmong and Somali

Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington:

• “We’ve had some good nights keeping the peace”
• MN National Guard will still be working, but will start demobilizing
• Doesn’t see need for further curfews
• MN field of offices of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) and FBI ramping up investigations into all the arsons, looting
• Will now work to shift to cleaning up and reopening businesses

Q&A Session, Notes:

• This puts MN into one of the more open states on how things are going.
• Reason for 250 cap? Prevent even larger gatherings from happening. If you can’t be 6 feet apart, numbers have to be lower.
• 50% capacity at churches also pertain to funerals and memorial services.
• On organized sports, what are low-risk and high-risk? Grove: Tennis: lower risk. 5-on-5 basketball higher risk. Baseball also higher risk. Conversations continue about professional sports.
• Governor: It would be naive for us to think we’re not in a unique moment in regards to the George Floyd protests. Trying to strike balance.
  • Denying parts of George Floyd Memorial Service, such as singing, would have been difficult. 
• Are long-term care cases declining? Malcolm: Yes, there is evidence of progress.
• Differences in clinics testing, some asymptomatic people could not get tested, such as protesters and reporters. Walz “That should not happen.” Malcom: says sometimes guidance slow to trickle to clinics. It’s regrettable people who attended rallies could not get tested.
  • Walz says he, himself, will get tested
• What about wedding receptions? Would follow same guidelines issued to church and non-church settings.
• Why not open economy up 100%? Walz: That’s not where the science is at. State epidemiologist in Sweden is under a lot of fire for reopening up too soon. We have 90 days of data on this.
• Mentioned University of Minnesota thinking about in-person classes in the fall.

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