Governor Tim Walz sees his dear state of Minnesota catching up with its unhealthy Dakota neighbors in coronavirus, and he’s doing something about it:
“This is painful, it’s no fun, I’m as frustrated as you are,” said Gov. Walz. “We should’ve broken the back of this thing months ago in this country.”
Under the restrictions, bars and restaurants are required to end dine-in services between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Indoor capacity will also be capped at 150 people. Bar seating will also be closed, with the exception of establishments that only have bar seating.
In regards to gatherings, there is a 10-person limit for indoor and outdoor gatherings, and all social gatherings must be limited to members of three households or less.
For events like weddings and funerals, an instituted phased approach with be put in place. However, eventually, a 25-person cap will be put in place. Reception events may also not take place between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
“If we don’t make these changes, if we don’t change our behavior we will have 10,000 cases, we will have 1,500 people in the hospital and we will be reporting, God forbid, 50 or more deaths a day,” said Walz.
According to Walz, 71 percent of coronavirus infections in the state have occurred during private gatherings, at bars and restaurants and during weddings and funerals [Callan Gray, “Walz Announces New Covid-19 Restrictions for Gatherings, Puts Bar and Restaurant Curfew in Place,” KSTP, 2020.11.10].
Did you catch that? 71% of infections are coming from social gatherings—i.e., unnecessary, avoidable events. Skip the bar, skip the restaurant, put off that big reception, and you could knock your state’s coronavirus caseload down by more than two thirds.
Governor Walz wishes his neighbors would get their act together and make hard choices like he’s making to protect friends and neighbors:
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he wishes the neighboring Dakotas would take more aggressive steps to slow the spread of the coronavirus, singling out South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for criticism.
Walz made the comments Tuesday during a news conference in St. Paul where he announced new restrictions on bars, restaurants and gatherings in Minnesota. He lamented that Minnesota is catching up with the Dakotas, which lead the country in new cases per capita.
The Democratic governor said he’s not blaming neighboring states for that, but he said this summer’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota was “absolutely unnecessary,” and that data shows it helped spread the virus beyond that state. Singling out Noem, who is a Republican, he said he wishes the state would have canceled the rally and imposed a statewide mask mandate, as Minnesota has.
“And this one’s a little bit personal because the governor of South Dakota has taken to traveling to other states and criticizing others — now at a time when that state’s hospital capacity is overwhelmed,” Walz said [Steve Karnowski, “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Criticizes South Dakota Counterpart Kristi Noem over Coronavirus,” AP via Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2020.11.11].
I get the distinct feeling that Governor Walz might give more of a darn about my family’s life than my own Governor does. Sigh.
When was the last time Noem had a press conference about the pandemic?
Owen – never? What do I win? She hasn’t taken this as a serious situatition in months.
I wonder how many from Minnesota come to South Dakota for the freedom? to go maskless, return to Minnesota spreading the virus when they get home. Thoughts? I guess one could check the border counties in both states.
High five to Walz for criticizing Noem and her carelessness. Someone needs to put her in her place.
Cory, Walz does care more about people’s lives than Noem does. He still has the high rating also after he was bashed unfairly for the riots – 57% approval rating. Minnesotans know they voted in a decent caring man of the people when they went for Walz.
Minnesotans, in general, are less worried about the political party of a person running in an election than South Dakotans. South Dakotans should try thinking that way when they go to an election booth. I have a strong feeling Billie Sutton would be doing a much better job with Covid in SD than Noem’s lackluster handling of it.
Kristi when are we going to get through this.Quit talking on tv. Our hospitals are filling up and your worried about trump.Take care of the state and have some empathy towards our citizens.
Stuff is getting real here. Until recently, lots of us probably knew few if any friends or family members who had tested positive for COVID. Now, hardly anyone does not know one or more people who are currently fighting it or have already done so. Even our Governess must have been touched by it. She walks among us – at least kind of, right? I mean now that she is done jetting around the country to promote the Don.
I admit that I am frustrated with maskless people who casually and recklessly go about their daily activities mingling freely among us as if it were 2019. A few weeks ago, I could abide their cavalier attitude and would attempt to avoid them in the grocery store. But now, the risk to me and others in my home has elevated to the point that I will no longer accept their selfish disregard for signage prominently posted in the store stating that masks are REQUIRED. In another state, that behavior would already have been spotlighted and shamed for its inconsiderate and irresponsible consequences that have led to SD becoming a global leader in a category the Governess apparently cares less about than her hairdo. G’night.
Gov. Walz is no less a partisan hack than any other governor, trying to heal his failing state by jabbing out at others with his verbal sticks.
Grudz can be counted on to uphold the South Dakota traditions of stupid and mean.
grudznick, none of the responses dealing with the pandemic should be “partisan.” In fact, if science and medicine would guide us through the process, this nation would be a whole lot less divided — maybe even agreement on public health (again following the lead of science and medicine) COULD have been the bridge to begin bringing partisan actors together on this nonpartisan issue.
But NOOOOOOOOOOOO! you and your GOP friends had to make science a partisan issue and again chose the anti-science stance. Climate, COVID, trickle down economics . . . , the GOP has to stop being the party of embracing and advancing ignorance.
https://kstp.com/coronavirus/governor-tim-walz-to-announce-significant-expansion-statewide-covid-19-testing/5919122/
MN is also opening up a dozen new covid testing sites across the state FREE of charge to anyone that wants to get tested (you don’t have to be symptomatic to get tested) . The testing sites will be open and run by the National Guard through the end of the year.
Thank you, Gov Walz.
Mask up everyone, it’s going to be a long winter if we don’t get this under control.
Lewandowski gets it:
NEW – Corey Lewandowski, Trump adviser who’s been working on efforts to bring lawsuits alleging illegal election activity in specific states, tested positive for COVID yesterday per a person briefed. Lewandowski had been in Philly for days and believes he contracted it there.
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1326935589208403968
I was busy but lori walsh sdpb just interviewed kevin wooster which i believe was highly critical of Thune and Noem’s failure to lead and lawyering up against tribal votes in the past. Will re-listen.
Now it’s The Lew, too! COVID Kristi, grow up and mask up, or resign! Time to act like an adult and start setting the right example. Don’t be a Lew.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/12/politics/corey-lewandowski-coronavirus/index.html
Jenny
Maybe he should setup a few in South Dakota. Wonder how that would go over?
Francis, Kristi would go for that since she’s a cheap conservative. ;)
Ms. Jenny, you should read South Dakota news more.
From over a week ago, somebody wrote:
SDs covid testing events are just being given a few days here and there. MNs testing sites will be open continuously through the end of the year, Grudz.
Blue states like MN are not afraid to spend their money to help people, especially during a historic pandemic.
Red states like SD – well, it’s obvious that Barnyard Kristi is more interested in national politics and running her mouth on Fox than doing her job working for South Dakotans.
I guess we shouldn’t even try to keep up with MN, then, and just pout when all the out-of-state name callers yell “Nyah Nyah Na Na Naaa.”
grudznick says, get in line on your appointed day and get your nose swabbed. At least South Dakota and Minnesota are on the same footing when it comes to our NFL teams.
Jenny is right: ongoing testing sites make more sense than temporary one-day pop-ups. The pandemic isn’t going away next week; we need to sustain testing capacity for the public until the pandemic is beaten.