Who can return to work under state’s revised ‘stay at home’ order

On Wednesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced an extension of the ‘stay at home’ order through May 4, adding new exemptions to certain industries. The statewide bar, restaurant and school closures will all remain closed until May 4 as well.

Although many Minnesotans are asked to stay home, workers or volunteers in critical sectors who are performing work that cannot be done at their home or residence are exempted and permitted to return to their jobs, according to the executive order.

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Some industries such as landscaping and lawn care are now exempt in the revised executive order. Plus, craft stores may remain open only to sell supplies that can be used for making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as fabric face masks. Those materials must be purchased prior to pick-up electronically or by phone and must be prepackaged by the manufacturer, distributor or the store.

Under the revised order, the following exempted workers can return to work on April 9:

MINIMUM BASIC OPERATIONS:

• Workers supporting minimum basic operations in all businesses and other organizations. Those include:
  • Minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business’ inventory, preserve the condition of
    a business’s or other organization’s facilities, physical plant, or equipment, ensure security, process
    payroll and employee benefits, or for related functions; and
  • Minimum necessary activities to facilitate remote work by workers from their residences (e.g. IT
    personnel who allow employees to operate remotely and personnel who support remote or distance
    learning)

HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH:

• Workers supporting the medical cannabis industry
• Workers in adult day cares are NOT exempt

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE:

• Lawn care and landscaping workers
• Workers supporting garden centers or stores, provided these centers or stores adhere to guidance provided by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
• Workers supporting florists for the sale for delivery only of perishable plant stock. Workers delivering perishable plant stock are strongly encouraged to drop off product at the front door of nursing homes and hospitals to avoid contact with vulnerable populations.
• This category DOES NOT include the following workers, who are NOT EXEMPT:
  • Workers supporting tobacco and vaping-product shops
  • Workers supporting cannabidiol (CBD) oil shops

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS:

• Automobile, motorcycle, recreational vehicle (RV) and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) sales that are necessary to allow for essential travel or support Critical Sectors, when conducted by appointment and only when CDC and MDH guidelines, including social distancing, can be met.
• Workers who clean vehicles used for public transportation, government services and Critical Sectors

OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Workers supporting building code enforcement necessary to maintain public safety and health
• Workers supporting building code enforcement for all ongoing construction
• Workers, including logistical and contract workers, who are critical to facilitating support of national, state and local emergency response operations
• Workers necessary to process applications for and issue hunting and fishing licenses, where it is impracticable for applicants to apply online

COMMERCIAL FACILITIES/ESSENTIAL SUPPLY STORES:

• Workers supporting licensed businesses that sell or service firearms pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section
  624.7192. Gun ranges and clubs should remain closed pursuant to Executive Orders 20-04 and 20-18.
• Workers supporting arts and crafts stores, but only to the extent that they are distributing materials for making
  Personal Protective Equipment (e.g. homemade facemasks). Such materials must be purchased prior to pick-up
  electronically or by phone and must be prepackaged by the manufacturer, distributor, or the store. Workers
  supporting arts and crafts stores are not otherwise exempt.

LAUNDRY AND HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:

• Workers doing ordinary residential housecleaning of individual homes or apartments are not exempt

ANIMAL CARE AND VETERINARIANS:

• Workers providing care (e.g., daycare or boarding) to pets in the following circumstances:
  • Caring for pets owned by other Critical Sector workers during their shifts
  • Caring for pets needing care because the owner is physically or otherwise unable to care for animal
  • Caring for pets owned by individuals who are ill or quarantined provided that contact with the owner is
    limited to a one-time pick up until the illness or quarantine has passed
  • Caring for pets currently boarded and in circumstance where the owner cannot retrieve them
• Workers supporting pet adoption and animal foster care are exempt, provided that (1) any paperwork and
  payment is done online, and (2) appropriate social distancing is observed during the adoption process
• Workers supporting pet grooming businesses are not exempt

To see the official summary of Executive Order 20-33, click here.

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