FAQs on the Extended ‘Stay at Home’ Order

Dear Neighbors, 

I want to start by thanking our community for the sacrifices that have been made during these trying times. There’s still a lot we don’t know, but what we can be sure of is that our efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota are working. We’re staying home, and because of that we’re giving our health care professionals the time to prepare for when the peak of this virus hits our state, but more time is needed. In a tough but necessary decision, yesterday Governor Walz extended the “Stay at Home” order until May 4. 

The new extension is much longer than the original two-week order, but it’s in line with the recommendations of public health officials, and is similar to actions we’ve seen around the world. For a quick recap of the order, I want to remind everyone that you’re still able to leave your homes for essential needs, and you can and should get some fresh air and exercise with a walk around your neighborhood. It’s encouraged that you follow Minnesota Department of Health guidelines and maintain a distance of six feet from others when leaving your home. 

For any questions you might have about the “Stay at Home” order, you can find a list of FAQs here, including when you can and should leave your home, and what services remain open. You can also find a compilation of Minnesota’s COVID-19 data and resources here. 

COVID-19 Workers’ Comp for Frontline Responders

Our health care and public safety professionals put their physical health on the line when they go to work to continue to keep our state healthy and safe. This week in the Minnesota Legislature, we passed a bipartisan bill to ensure that these Minnesotans won’t have to potentially sacrifice their financial health as well, with the majority of members voting remotely.

House File 4537 delivers workers’ compensation benefits to these frontline responders in the event that they contract COVID-19. These are vulnerable, exposed jobs, and we need to support the professions that in turn support our state; the nurses, EMTs, firefighters, police officers, child care workers, and corrections officers.

This is far from the end of this conversation. There remain too many Minnesotans that are also working to keep Minnesota strong that don’t yet have the support they deserve, and we’ll be continuing to fight for them. 

Discrimination Helpline

No one deserves to be targeted based on their background. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in instances of discrimination against people of Asian descent in Minnesota and across the country. On Monday, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights launched a new Discrimination Helpline to help protect the civil rights of Minnesotans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Minnesotans who experience or witness discrimination can report incidents by calling 1-833-454-0148 or filling out an online form here.

If you have any questions about our work in the legislature or the resources available to our community, feel free to reach out to me at rep.shelly.christensen@house.mn, or leave a voicemail at (651) 296-4244. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely, 

Representative Shelly Christensen