2020 Archived Posts

Executive Order – Requiring Minnesotans to Wear a Face Covering in Certain Settings to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

FAQ About the Requirement to Wear Face Coverings

More than $60 million available in grants to small businesses affected by COVID-19

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced that the Minnesota Small Business Relief Grants Program – which was approved by the Minnesota Legislature last week and signed by Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday – will begin accepting applications next week.

This program will provide $10,000 grants to small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees are eligible. Half of the funding will go to businesses in Greater Minnesota and half to businesses in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, as required by law.

Additional requirements include:

• $18 million for businesses with six or fewer full-time employees
• $10 million for minority business enterprises
• $2.5 million for veteran-owned businesses
• $2.5 million for women-owned businesses
• $2.5 million for operators of indoor retail and food markets with an ethnic cultural emphasis

“Small businesses across our state urgently need this relief,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “DEED applauds the bipartisan action to pass this legislation, and we are grateful to Governor Walz for signing the bill quickly so we could immediately get this grant program up and running.”

The application period will begin on Tuesday, June 23 and close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 2 to fulfill the 10-day period required by the law. A randomized, computer-generated lottery process will be used to select eligible businesses that will receive awards. All awards will be administered by qualified local and regionally based nonprofit agencies, and the grant funds can be used for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, and other similar business expenses.

To be eligible, businesses must have a permanent physical location in Minnesota and be majority owned by a permanent resident of Minnesota. Businesses must be able to demonstrate hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Additional eligibility requirements and application information can be found online at DEED’s Small Business Relief Grants page.

DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more information about the agency and its services visit the DEED website or follow DEED on Twitter.

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Upon request, this information can be made available in alternate formats for people with disabilities by contacting the DEED Communications Office at 651-259-7161.

https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/?id=437202

Beginning on June 1, 2020

Restaurants and bars can reopen for outdoor service only as long as they:

• Have adopted and implemented a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
• Ensure a minimum of 6 feet of distance between tables
• Limit on-premises capacity to no more than 50 persons
• Limit table service to 4 persons, or 6 if part of one family unit
• Require reservations in advance
• Require workers to wear masks and strongly encourage masks be worn by customers

Personal care services (such as hair salons, barbershops and tattoo parlors) can reopen to provide services indoor as long as they:

• Have adopted and implemented a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
• Limit number of clients inside the business at any time to ensure 6 feet of distance between persons except when providing services
• Reduce occupant capacity to no more than 25%
• See clients by appointment only; do not allow walk-ins
• Require workers and clients to wear masks at all times; do not provide services that cannot be performed without masks

Executive Order 20-56 allowed all retail stores, malls and other businesses that sell, rent, maintain and repair goods to open beginning on Monday, May 18 as long as they have adopted and implemented a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan including social distancing guidelines for workers and customers, and allow no more than 50% of the establishment’s occupant capacity at any time.

All businesses that have been allowed to reopen under previous Executive Orders, including Critical Sector businesses and non-Critical Sector industrial and office-based businesses, can continue operations as previously allowed. Further guidance on what businesses and activities are currently allowed can be found here.

All workers who have previously been working from home must continue doing so under Executive Order 20-56.

We must continue to protect public health as we turn the dials and allow more Minnesotans to safely return to work. The state continues to monitor a number of factors when allowing business to reopen, including sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations, enhanced ability to test and trace, sufficient health care capacity to handle resurgence, and best practices for social distancing that minimize the amount of time that people spend in close proximity to others.

Input from businesses, workers and community members is essential in making sure we do this right. Please provide your input or feedback about safely returning to work.

We have prepared a number of Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found on the Business and Worker pages below. If you have additional questions about Safely Returning to Work, please use this form.

Re-Opening Minnesota’s Customer Facing Businesses

Personal Care Industry Guidance PDF

Restaurant and Bar Industry Guidance PDF

Employer Preparedness Plan Requirements Checklist

COVID-19 Preparedness Plan template and instructions