MSP Regional Recovery Hub Weekly Take: Vaccination Progress Leads To Rollback Of Covid Restrictions

This Week’s Big Thing: the dial is turning faster on recovery, thanks to vaccine distribution. Friday morning Governor Walz announced a rollback of COVID restrictions, significantly opening up the opportunity for larger social gatherings in the state. The new measures take effect on Monday (March 15th) and include capacity limit increases for restaurants and bars (to 75% capacity), gyms and fitness centers (to 50% capacity), and entertainment venues (to 50% capacity). Additionally, the state’s work from home requirement for applicable businesses will be removed, though work from home is still strongly recommended. This is great news for the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector which has been largely sidelined through the pandemic. The announced loosening of restrictions is a result of positive distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations, particularly the milestone of 70% of the state’s senior citizens having now been vaccinated. The announcement also comes on the heels of the CDC issuance of guidelines, stating that fully vaccinated people can visit safely with others, released on Monday. The guidelines signal helpful certainty leading into the spring and summer months as families make plans to visit each other, even if that means travel.  

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