Five years ago, on March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.

Within two days, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a “peacetime emergency” in the state, giving him extraordinary executive powers.

“The safety and security of Minnesotans is a top priority,” Walz said at a news conference alongside Republican and Democratic lawmakers when they announced the passage of millions of dollars in pandemic funding for the Minnesota Department of Health. 

“Really unusual to see a truly unanimous vote in the House of Representatives,” said then-House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Stay calm and carry on,” added then-Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, “that was a message during the World War 2 era.”

“As we expand testing, we frankly do expect to find more cases,” said then-Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm, adding that so far, there had been no reported “community spread” of the virus.

DFL Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan reminded Minnesotans the world would change in many ways, large and small. “Remember that in MN, elbow bumping is the new way to greet one another,” she said, cautioning people not to shake hands or “touch their faces.”

The cooperative spirit continued in the early weeks of the pandemic. Lawmakers agreed to shut down the Minnesota State Capitol to do their part to help “flatten the curve” of COVID transmissions. They later returned to the Capitol with new social distancing rules in place on the House and Senate floors with some members participating from the balconies of each chamber.

“We made a decision we would keep working through emails and telephone calls, but we’d limit the amount of time we spend with each other,” said then-Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt.

Eventually, the governor’s executive orders under his emergency powers began to pile up. On March 15, 2020, he ordered schools to close across the state. On March 16, he ordered bars and restaurants to close in-person service and go to takeout orders only. On March 25, he issued a “stay at home” order to Minnesotans, only allowing “essential” workers to report to work. For a time, Minnesotans couldn’t even go to church. 

By the time the governor issued a mask mandate executive order in July, Republicans had grown increasingly frustrated.

A group of Republican lawmakers and a small business group filed suit in Ramsey County, challenging the governor’s executive orders. They also tried to end the emergency orders in the legislature. Both efforts failed.

RELATED: Gov. Walz stands by emergency powers 1 year into pandemic as some question need for authority

“It a fatal flaw to think one person knows what is happening in 2,000 schools all around our state, corner to corner,” argued Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester). The motions failed in court and on the House and Senate floors. “We would disarm Governor Walz from having a role in the fight on the pandemic,” said then-DFL Sen. Chuck Wiger.

Just over 7,000 Minnesotans died from COVID-19 or complications from the virus in the first year of the pandemic. The governor eventually lifted the mask mandate on July 1, 2021, nearly a year after imposing the requirement. He also eventually gave up his emergency powers as the crisis waned.

State Capitol operations have returned mostly to pre-pandemic norms with one exception. House and Senate members are allowed to attend some committee meetings and floor sessions remotely via Zoom.

“One thing we have all learned is Zoom,” Minnesota DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman said this week. “I didn’t know Zoom existed before COVID.”

Post-COVID, remote participation in the legislature for lawmakers and people testifying before lawmakers is now part of the legislative process.