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Dear neighbors,
I know that many of you are rightly concerned about COVID-19, often referred to as the coronavirus. We here in the Legislature are committed to working with the Walz Administration and public health officials to help the people of Minnesota navigate this public health crisis.
One of the things I want to let people know is that we have great people working together on the crisis in front of us. What is also very encouraging is that I know Minnesotans care deeply about our State and for one another. We are used to working together across race, religion and geography to strengthen our communities by improving outcomes for everyone.
I am seeing this happen now. There are neighborhood groups coming together to figure out how to support each other and check up on each other during this pandemic. This is what gives me great hope and helps calm some of the concerns that I have.
If you would like the most up to date information about COVID-19, it can be found at the Minnesota Department of Health's website: www.health.state.mn.us. They also have a public hotline number at 651-201-3920. The hotline is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
School Cancellations
Over the weekend, Governor Walz announced that Minnesota schools will be temporarily closed from March 18 to March 27, though some schools may close earlier. During this time, educators will prepare for long-term continuity of education and services. Schools will continue providing meals to students in need, mental health services, and care for elementary-age children of health care professionals, first responders, and other emergency workers. If you have questions about school and child care, you can visit www.education.mn.gov or call the state hotline at 651-297-1304.
Help Prevent the Spread
We all have a part to play in preventing and slowing the spread of COVID-19. It bears repeating that you should wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home if you’re feeling sick. On Friday, Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued additional public health guidelines, including cancelling large events and smaller gatherings that don’t allow social distancing of at least six feet and limiting gatherings with participants who are at a higher risk for severe disease to less than 10 people. You can read more about strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19 here.
Please remember that by following these guidelines, you are helping to save lives and keep our health care providers and facilities from becoming overwhelmed.
Legislative Action to Address COVID-19
We are working on several bills to further address COVID-19, including legislation that would:
- Reduce financial barriers for Minnesotans who need testing and treatment.
- Establish loans for health care providers.
- Expand unemployment insurance and paid leave.
- Ban price gouging of food and other necessary goods and services.
- Copenstate hourly school workers for days canceled or missed due to COVID-19.
This is a situation that is very fluid and will be requiring us to be flexible on how we approach things. At the Legislature, we are continuing our work while following the advice of health officials and employing social distancing practices. While that means limiting in-person meetings, I encourage you to continue sharing your questions, feedback and suggestions.
You can reach me at rep.peter.fischer@house.mn or at 651-296-5363. My staff will be working from home, so calls will be rolling over to voicemail but we will return your call as quickly as possible. I will do my best to keep our community updated on this evolving situation.
Sincerely,
Peter Fischer
State Representative
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