[24] Governor Tim Walz announces in Executive Order 20-04 that all non-essential businesses close until March 27, 2020, citing the first confirmed case of community spread, detected the previous day, as his cause for this action.

Ben Dorr, a head member of the advocacy group, has repeatedly called for the state to reopen and has claimed that COVID-19 poses no greater threat to public health than the flu.

Referring to the changes as a "measured Minnesota approach", Walz clarified that "we're not flipping a switch and everything's going back to normal at once... we're slowly moving the dial and introducing more interaction between people over time."

[40] Following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, protesters gathered in large groups for vigils, marches and demonstrations, first in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and later throughout the state.

[41][43] The use of tear gas and pepper spray by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Minnesota National Guard was criticized for creating conditions where the virus could spread more easily by exacerbating respiratory infections, increasing exposure rates, and compromising immune systems.

[47] Minnesota experienced a significant increase in positive cases beginning in late June and extending into July consistent with the greater nationwide trend.

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html#testingm1 A news story stated that "nearly half of an Iowa National Guard battalion that came to train at Camp Ripley in Minnesota this summer became sick with or were exposed to COVID-19.

[citation needed] On March 25, Governor Walz issued a stay-at-home order, stating that at this point it was too late to "flatten the curve" with relation to new cases.

[110] On October 15, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced a comprehensive COVID-19 action plan to relieve Minnesota's overburdened hospitals and provide new rapid testing options for Minnesotans.

[116] On November 2, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced an initial list of states experiences that will be awarded to winners of the 'Kids Deserve a Shot' vaccine incentives campaign's weekly drawings.

[119] On November 9, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced the open registration form to claim a $200 Visa gift card for Minnesota parents to their fully vaccinated 12- to 17-year-olds.

[124] On November 19, 2021, Following an expansion of eligibility by federal public health officials, Governor Tim Walz announced that all fully vaccinated Minnesota adults can now get COVID-19 booster shots.

On November 22, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced his steps to support Minnesota's long-term care facilities and continued to address hospital capacity concerns as the state's health-care system faces growing strains as a result of COVID-19.

[126] Governor Tim Walz also announced that Minnesota is a national leader in immunizing children aged 5 to 11 years old and providing booster doses to adults.

[127] On December 1, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced that a federal medical team will arrive in Minnesota to increase access to COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments and expand capacity at the state's popular Mall of America community vaccination location.

[131] On December 6, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced a new initiative to recruit, train, and deploy at least 1,000 new certified nursing assistants by the end of January for Minnesota long-term care facilities with staffing shortages.

[132] Governor Tim Walz also announced the deployment of the first three National Guard skilled-nursing response teams to help long-term care facilities that are experiencing severe staffing shortages.

[134] On December 9, 2021, Following an expansion of eligibility by federal public health officials, Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesotans aged 16 and 17 can now receive a Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose.

[135] On December 10, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced $2.86 million in funding to help Minnesota children who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, as well as support the state's hospitals as they continue to deal with COVID-19's limited capacity.

[136] On December 13, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced Ben Truax of Rochester as the winner of the second $100,000 Minnesota college scholarship drawing for the 'Kids Deserve a Shot' campaign.

[140] On December 28, 2021, As the state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tim Walz announced the allocation of $47 million in federal American Recue Plan funds.

[146] Governor Tim Walz also announced new measures to address severe staffing shortages threatening the health and safety of older Minnesotans and people with disabilities.

[147] On January 12, 2022, Governor Tim Walz announced that he will provide $40 million in additional funding to help support hospital staffing in Minnesota during current COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Omicron variant.

[150] On January 19, 2022, Governor Tim Walz announced that more than 100 nurses will begin arriving at health care facilities across the state immediately after taking urgent action to provide staffing assistance for short-staffed Minnesota hospitals.

[153] On January 24, 2022, Governor Tim Walz announced that the registration form for parents to claim their $200 Visa gift card for immunizing their 5 to 11-year-old children was available.

[157] On January 28, 2022, Governor Tim Walz announced a series of emergency measures to assist Minnesota hospitals in dealing with high patient counts caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

[171] Several chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, cancer, COPD, and high blood pressure, were identified as COVID-19 risk factors.

Major League Baseball cancelled the remainder of spring training on that date, and on March 16, they announced that the season will be postponed indefinitely, after the recommendations from the CDC to restrict events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, affecting the Minnesota Twins.

[179] Minneapolis hosting of a Coop FIS Cross-Country Ski World Cup race at Theodore Wirth Park, the first to be held in United States in two decades, was also canceled.

[196] City officials struggled to support the needs of local businesses, particularly small- and minority-owned establishments, that were dually challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and historic unrest and property destruction in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder on May 25, 2020.