Gov. Walz signs 3 executive orders relating to COVID-19; governor, chief of staff extend paycut into June 2021

Wednesday, Gov. Tim Walz signed three additional executive orders related to the state’s COVID-19 response.

As some pharmacies are facing shortages of pharmacists due to staff illness or inability to work for other reasons, Executive Order 20-107 authorizes out-of-state pharmacists to administer vaccines in Minnesota during the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency.

On April 15, Walz, along with members of his cabinet and chief of staff, voluntarily agreed to reduce their salaries through the end of the year by 10%. Executive Order 20-105 extends the salary reduction for the governor and his chief of staff through June 2021.

In addition, Executive Order 20-106 rescinds Executive Order 20-34, which directed the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health to share limited information with the Department of Public Safety to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It also rescinds Executive Order 15-15, which established the governor’s committee to advise the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. A wide array of other existing and newly created state councils, committees and other entities have a similar scope and focus of work, according to the governor’s office.