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Hello, friends. I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on some of the recent news regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
Governor Tim Walz: Stay Home
Yesterday, Governor Tim Walz issued Emergency Executive Order 20-20. This order directs Minnesotans to stay at home in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, the Governor has ordered all individuals living in the State of Minnesota to stay in their home beginning at 11:59pm on Friday, March 27, 2020. This order will be in effect until April 10, 2020 at 5:00pm.
A link to the full executive order can be found here: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/execorders/20-20.pdf
It is very important that Minnesotans fully understand the parameters of this executive order. Most importantly, there are a series of exemptions to the stay at home order. These exemptions allow Minnesotans to leave their homes if they are participating in essential activities and critical work. These are outlined below.
Exempt Activities
The Governor’s executive order permits Minnesotans to leave their home in order to participate in essential activities and meet essential needs. These exemptions include:
- Relocation to ensure safety: Individuals who are at risk of violence or unsafe conditions may travel outside their home to seek safe residence.
- Health and safety activities: Individuals seeking medical treatment are permitted to travel outside their home.
- Outdoor activities: Individuals are permitted to engage in outdoor activities such as walking, biking, hiking, running, driving for pleasure, hunting, and fishing. However, proper social distancing techniques (such as staying six feet apart from other individuals) must be adhered to during participation in outdoor activities.
- Necessary supplies and services: Individuals are permitted to leave their home to get food, gasoline, household supplies, grocery items, and other necessary products.
- Essential intrastate and interstate travel: Individuals are permitted to travel to engage in exempted activities. Additionally, individuals can travel into and out of Minnesota.
- Care of others: Individuals may travel outside their home in order to provide care to a family member, friend, or pet in another household.
- Displacement: Individuals without a home are exempt from the restrictions of the Governor’s order.
In addition to the listed activities, please see the full executive order (link is listed above) for a detailed listing of all exempted activities.
Exempt Businesses
The Governor’s executive order mandates that all workers who can work from home must do so. However, the executive order permits many businesses and sectors to continue operations in order to keep Minnesota running. Businesses and sectors exempted from the stay at home order include:
- Healthcare and public health: Individuals who work in health care as nurses, doctors, supporting manufacturers, technicians, distributors, support workers, human service workers, home care workers, health care supply-chain workers, etc. are exempt from the executive order.
- Law enforcement, public safety, and first responders: Individuals who work as police officers, first responders, corrections personnel, probation officers, victims’ advocates, support staff, etc. are exempt from the executive order.
- Food and agriculture: Individuals who work as farmers, food supply-chain workers, grocery store workers, etc. are exempt from the executive order.
- Energy: See full executive order (link above) for full details.
- Water and wastewater: Individuals who work to maintain water and wastewater infrastructure, residential wells, and septic tanks are exempt. Workers who supply bottled water or home filtration systems which are necessary are also exempt.
- Transportation and logistics: Government agencies and workers, and private sector workers, who support transportation functions are exempt. These roles include engineers, dispatchers, repair technicians, truck stop workers, roadway construction workers, and public transit workers.
- Critical manufacturing: Individuals who work in iron ore mining, processing operations, and supplier/vendor industries are exempt.
- Financial Services: Individuals who work at banks, credit unions, insurance companies and other financial services are exempt.
- Federal Employees: Nothing in the executive order will be construed to limit or prohibit the operations of the federal government. All federal employees are exempt.
- Faith leaders and workers: Individuals who serve as leaders, officials, and support staff in houses of worship and other places of religious expression are exempt.
- Education: Individuals who work supporting public and private schools and provide childcare to children as needed are exempt.
- Construction and critical trades: Electricians, plumbers, exterminators, elevator technicians, and other related construction and trade jobs are exempt.
- Childcare providers: Workers in childcare centers, family childcare and schools are exempt. These providers are encouraged to stay open to assist families who work in critical sector roles such as health care.
- Essential supply stores: Individuals who work at businesses which sell essential products, tools, and materials for critical sector work to continue are exempt.
Please note: These are just a few of the different businesses and sectors which are exempt from the Governor’s executive order. Please see the Governor’s full executive order (link is listed above) for a detailed listing of all exempted businesses and economic sectors.
Additionally, below is a link to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) which allows individuals to check if they are exempt from the Governor’s executive order.
Here is the link: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/business-exemptions/
Contact:
If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, please don’t hesitate to contact me or my office. My email address is Rep.Steve.Drazkowski@house.mn. Additionally, please reach out to my Legislative Assistant, Luke, with any questions. Luke’s email is Luke.Sprinkel@house.mn. Emailing is the fastest way to get in contact with me. Contact me anytime with questions or concerns.
Steve Drazkowski
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