Minnesota governor suspends evictions during peacetime emergency amid COVID-19 pandemic

Walz issues more executive orders amid self-quarantine

Minnesota governor Tim Walz issued more executive orders Monday, but so far has not ordered a shelter in place order, like Wisconsin.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ordered a moratorium on evictions amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Walz signed an executive order Monday suspending evictions during the state’s peacetime emergency, which he declared on March 13. The order was one of four he signed while working from the governor’s residence under a self-quarantine.

Under the order, landlords and financial institutions cannot begin evictions proceedings that would remove tenants from stable housing. Tenants who can pay rent, however, should continue to do so.

The governor said he issued the order to keep Minnesotans in their homes and mitigate the community spread of the virus.

“We can’t make this worse,” Walz said at his daily press conference Monday, which was held via conference call. “We can’t put people out on the street.”

Last week, President Donald Trump announced the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development will suspend all foreclosures and evictions until April 30.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is working from home for the next two weeks after making the decision to self-quarantine when one of the members of his security detail tested positive for COVID-19.

Walz is self-quarantining at the governor’s residence after learning Monday morning that a member of his security detail tested positive for the coronavirus.