Gov. 'turns dial' on coronavirus distancing

After three months of pandemic-driven social distancing, Gov. Tim Walz last week announced another “turn of the dial” to allow business to resume almost as usual in Minnesota.
As of Wednesday, indoor dining, gyms and entertainment venues are cautiously reopening.
“Thank you, Minnesotans, for the sacrifices you’ve made to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Gov. Walz said at a June 5 press conference.
“Thanks to your dedication, we are now in a position to carefully turn the dial toward reopening society. As we move forward, it is more important than ever that we each do our part as we trust and rely on each other to keep our state safe.”
Rock County Emergency Management Director Kyle Oldre said he’s relieved the CDC surge projections in this part of the country turned out to be high.
“We were prepared for a surge — and we still are, but the projections were a bit robust,” he said. “Our people did what they were supposed to do by staying home, but the numbers they were expecting didn’t happen.”
Rock County’s total number of confirmed cases is 23 since the start of reporting in March. Many of those are recovered and cleared from quarantine.
 
The governor’s Phase III “Stay Safe MN” plan includes:
•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 fewer; outdoor social gatherings can take place with 25 people or fewer.
•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.
Oldre said it’s nice to have a return to some normalcy, but he said it’s important to remember the virus is still circulating.
“We need to recognize that we’re not out of the woods yet,” Oldre said.
“We still need to follow guidelines for social distancing, hand washing and staying home if we’re sick.”
See the city of Luverne ad on page 12 for more information, and see the related story about gyms, pools and recreational facilities reopening.