Governor says he expects to extend, but change Minnesota's stay-at-home order Wednesday
Gov. Tim Walz gives an update on Minnesota's preparations for the novel coronavirus. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he expects to extend and change his stay-at-home order Wednesday to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19.
In his daily news conference with other state officials, Walz said the order will continue past Friday, when the first order is set to expire. The new “refined” order will allow some workers to return to their jobs, the governor said.
“I think there’s a Minnesota way to do this,” he said of the amended order he will unveil Wednesday.
“We will continue to do a lot of the things we’re doing, but I think our plan will be much more refined and that’s what a lot of Minnesotans are asking for,” he said.
The governor hinted late last week that an extension of the order was coming.
MINNESOTA STAY-AT-HOME ORDER: What you're allowed to do, what's staying open
Minnesota reported 83 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 1,069, although health officials say that number is still an undercount due to lack of widespread testing. There have now been 34 deaths attributed to the virus.
More than half of the cases have recovered and no longer need to be isolated. To date, 29,260 people have been tested for the coronavirus. As of Tuesday, 549 people no longer need to be isolated.