Lockdown, again: Gov. Walz Restricts Dine-in, Youth Sports, Gyms
Governor Tim Walz announced a series of returning restrictions to Minnesotans Wednesday evening. These restrictions include in-person dining, fitness centers and youth sports. All of these restrictions will come into effect on Friday November 20.
These new restrictions were decided after a large surge of cases have been found in Minnesota in the last few weeks.
The Minnesota Department of Health reported that there were 5,102 newly reported cases of COVID-19 reported in Minnesota.
This brings the total cumulative positive cases to 242,043 in the state as of November 18.
The new restrictions are reminiscent of the lockdown that Minnesotans experienced last spring, when the Governor Walz instated a stay at home order for everyone in the state. The aim of the Governor is to slow the spread of the virus, and subsequently assist in keeping hospitals functioning to their full capacity.
Governor Walz spoke to the importance of keeping frontline healthcare workers safe during this time of pandemic.
“They are the ones who have to be there day in and day out,” said Walz in his announcement livestream on Wednesday night.
While many things will be restricted, several examples of unchanging industries and services were given, such as schools, childcare providers, grocery stores, retail stores, takeout services, salons/barber shops and places of worship.
There is a mixed reaction from students at MNSU when it comes to the new announcement.
Some students, like Alex Hermann, a junior psychology major at MNSU and restaurant server spoke to the difficulties of changing from traditional dine in to takeout services.
“It feels a lot more hectic because it’s out of routine, and everything is new every day,” said Hermann. “But for our personal safety, it’s a good thing to go to takeout, because we won’t need as many people in the restaurant, and will be less likely to get the virus.”
Emma Kelly, a senior student at Bethany Lutheran College, believes in keeping the businesses open.
“I believe that the people who should have stayed inside, should have stayed inside the whole time, and the rest of America should have treated it like the regular flu,” said Kelly in reference to the nation’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A law enforcement major at MNSU, Tate Marschall, is disapproving of Governor Walz’s actions.
“I think that it’s ridiculous that Walz thinks that he can tell people what to do in their own homes,” said Marschall, in reference to the Governor’s statements against having house guests, “Limiting how many people you have in your own home is basically tyranny.”
In his statement, Walz was very hopeful for the vaccine to begin distribution before the end of the four-week period.