Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday announced a new set of restrictions across the state due to a spike in cases of COVID-19. He stressed that health care systems across the state are nearing capacity, with limited ICU beds.
The executive order will last for four weeks, but could be extended.
Here’s a look at how the latest Executive Order that goes into effect at 11:59 pm on Nov. 20:
- All youth athletics and activities, indoor and outdoor, will be paused. This includes school and non-school athletics and activities.
- Youth programs that provide care or supervision of children can continue to operate as long as they follow the COVID-19 Prevention Guidance.
- Schools will not be able to rent their facilities for outside athletic activities.
- School fitness centers will be closed to athletics but may be used for classes required for credit. This means if physical education classes have as part of their curriculum the need use the fitness center, they may use the fitness centers for those purposes.
- Child care will remain open in the schools.
Schools need to continue to follow their Safe Learning Plans. See the latest dashboard of learning models. Learn more about the state’s Safe Learning Plan
View the updated guidance from the Minnesota Department of Education, based on this Executive Order: 2020-21 Planning Guidance for Minnesota Public Schools
Gov. Walz said the latest executive orders is in response to the data and science that his team has been tracking related to COVID. “Sports-related cases are nearly twice as prevalent among high school-age children as any other age group, and they increasingly play a key role in the need to move schools to distance learning, ” Walz says in the he Executive Order.
With this Executive Order, Gov. Walz also asked Minnesotans to not do any gatherings beyond their households and called for a halt to dining in and closure of fitness centers. Learn more.
