Insider: Walz to Close Restaurants, Gyms for Four Weeks

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will announce a new round of COVID-19 restrictions Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.  The announcement will be broadcast live on WJON.

According to political insider Blois Olson, he will announce a four-week pause with the key areas impacted including restaurants, breweries, bowling alleys, movie theaters and bars going to take out only.  Gyms will also be closing.  They go into effect at 12 midnight Friday evening.

Organized sports pausing will begin Saturday.

Outdoor sports and recreation will not be impacted. Retail stores, salons, dental offices, and other health care businesses will not be subjected to the new restrictions.

The reason is a clear wave of cases that has hospital capacity and staffing near a breaking point.  Over the past several days, the Minnesota Medical Association and health systems have expressed panic-like concern about Minnesota’s wave of new cases.  MDH staff had been raising concerns to Governor Walz even before his 10 PM shut down announcement last week that they needed to do more.