Local Business Owner Reacts To Easing of COVID Restrictions

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud business owner says the easing of COVID-19 restrictions is a move in the right direction.

Starting at noon on Friday, Minnesota is eliminating restrictions on outdoor dining and outdoor gatherings. Bar and restaurants can also stay open to their regular time.

Starting May 28, COVID restrictions on capacity limits for indoor events will be eliminated.

Ray Harrington owns Pioneer Place of Fifth Theatre, 7 West Taphouse, and Boulder Taphouse in St. Cloud says May 28 changes will make a big difference.

“We’ll be able to sell more tickets per show. We have a couple of big shows that weekend. That’ll help out a lot. So hopefully, we can get more people in the theater and move forward there.”

He was a guest on KNSI’s Ox in the Afternoon with Dan “The Ox” Ochsner.

Ray says the things that will help business owners like himself are easing table restrictions.

“The biggest thing right now for us is going from a group of six to a group of 10. That is going to help us out a lot. A lot less negative conversations with customers, I believe, because of that.”

He says getting rid of the mask mandate by July 1 could be a challenge.

“The mask mandate is going to be a touchy subject for a long time. We’ll see what happens when we get to July 1, how our customers react, what our game plan is going to be.”

Governor Tim Walz announced a timeline for the easing of all COVID restrictions on Thursday.

Step one takes place at noon on May 7. It includes initial steps to relax some restrictions, primarily in outdoor settings.

Removes limits for outdoor dining, events, and other get-togethers and ends the mask requirement outdoors except at large venues with over 500 people.

Eliminates the state-established mandatory closing time for bars, restaurants, and food and beverage services at other public accommodation places.

The second step begins on May 28. The remaining capacity and distancing limits will come to an end, including indoor events and gatherings. The requirements that will remain include:

Face coverings indoors and for outdoor events that exceed 500 people.

There will be no new safety requirements for businesses. However, they must maintain their plans to keep their employees and customers safe – as they have from the beginning of the pandemic – guided only by a minimal universal state guidance document.

The third step takes place once 70 percent of Minnesotans age 16 years and older – 3,087,404 Minnesotans – get at least one dose of the vaccine, but no later than July 1.

The remaining face-covering requirement and the requirement for preparedness plans will end. Work on vaccines will continue, and local jurisdictions and entities may set their mask policies.

Because the youngest Minnesotans are not yet eligible for the vaccine, the Safe Learning Plan for schools will continue until the end of the school year to protect students, teachers, and staff.

Additional protections will remain, including the eviction moratorium, a ban on price gouging, and eligibility exemptions for people who receive state services. The State will continue its emergency efforts to get Minnesotans tested and vaccinated and continue to monitor the virus and the growth of variants in the months to come.

Additionally, local jurisdictions and businesses may still require masks and have other requirements beyond July 1.

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