ST. PAUL -- Governor Tim Walz announced Wednesday night that he will be letting the state start reopening next week.

Walz will be letting the Stay at Home Order, originally put in place on March 27th, expire on Sunday, with some guidelines on how the state can begin reopening. The new recommendations are known as "Stay Safe Minnesota."

The Stay at Home is expiring and the dials are turning, but that doesn't mean we're carefree and can return to the way things were. It means we have to stay safe, take care, care for our own health, and care for your neighbor.

Starting on Monday, retail businesses will be able to reopen at 50 percent of their normal capacity, but social gatherings will still be limited to 10 people or less.

Close contact businesses including hair salons, dine-in restaurants, and fitness centers will be allowed to reopen starting on June 1st. Guidance for those businesses is expected to be announced next week.

Walz has also extended the Peacetime State of Emergency declaration through June 12th. The extension will allow the governor to continue to respond to COVID-19 if the numbers reported by the Minnesota Department of Health begin to jump.

People are still encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while in public. Walz says those at the highest risk and those who are able to continue to stay home should consider doing so.

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