on april 10, governor tim walz extended his stay-at-home order (executive order 20–33) until may 3 at 11:59 pm. he cited his reason for doing so was that new data and new discoveries about covid-19 had emerged since the original order was put in place. he also allowed hardware and garden shops to open so long as they follow all the minnesota department of health guidelines. on april 17, governor walz announced that it was now permitted for people to engage in various outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and motor-boating so long as they maintained a safe and reasonable distance from other people. golf courses and bait shops were also permitted to open. walz clearly stated these plans were conceptualized before the president's tweet and the civilian protest. on april 30, governor tim walz extended the stay at home order for minnesota to sunday may 17 at 11:59 pm. he stated that staying home is the most powerful weapon to "defeat" the virus and that "we must run the full marathon and not stop at mile 20". furthermore, he required certain personnel to wear face masks and strongly urged the general public to do the same. on may 13, governor tim walz allowed his stay-at-home order for minnesota to expire on sunday may 17 at 11:59 pm, so that minnesota would enter into a second phase of fighting the virus. he thanked minnesotans for their sacrifices and efforts to curb the virus. on may 18, most businesses were able to open but must adhere to the minnesota's department of health's guidelines. however, pubs and restaurants must remain closed; a decision regarding reopening these businesses would be made no later than 30 may. minnesotans can gather in groups of up to 10 people with close family and friends. on may 21, governor tim walz allowed all restaurants and pubs with outdoor seating to open on june 1 at 50% capacity and by reservation only. hair salons were allowed to open at 50% capacity and reservation only. all workers in these businesses are required to wear face masks at all times while on the clock, and customers are strongly encouraged to do the same. on june 5, governor tim walz allowed all restaurants, pubs, gyms, and other indoor entertainment venues to open indoor dining at 25-50% capacity. gatherings of people indoors were limited to 10 people; however 25 people can gather if the gathering takes place outdoors. he also thanked minnesotans for their sacrifices and patience, but warned that if cases start increasing, than he may have to close businesses. governor walz announced a statewide mask mandate on july 22. beginning july 25, the mandate required that face masks be worn in stores, public buildings, and indoor spaces where people congregate. on september 25, a joint coronavirus survey by the minnesota department of health and the cdc was halted, due to threatening behaviors and racial slurs directed at survey workers. on october 2, two days after a trump campaign rally in duluth, a minnesota department of health official said that "anyone who was in direct contact with president trump or known covid-19 cases needs to quarantine and should get tested." president trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus the day after hosting the rally, along with staff members who had traveled with him. on november 18, governor tim walz introduced his new "dial back minnesota". this four week plan started on november 20 and it closes down all pubs, restaurants, gyms, as well as all indoor and outdoor events that are "non-essential"; even events that are held inside a private house. furthermore, this order discourages all non-essential travel and asks minnesotans to stay home whenever possible, especially during the thanksgiving holiday. he imposed these new restrictions due to the rising number of cases in the state as well as multiple hospitals requesting a second stay-at-home order in order to be able to have the capacity to serve every patient. on september 15, 2021, minnesota department of health announced the release of the docket® app to expand consumer access to the minnesota immunization information connection (miic). on september 16, 2021, governor tim walz announced the launch of a new program that will provide $100 on-site incentives for covid-19 vaccines at community vaccination clinics across minnesota. on october 1, 2021, governor tim walz announced the state will host a twin cities con vaccination clinic at the minneapolis convention center. governor tim walz and the minnesota vikings announced two new vaccination clinics and on-site reward giveaways at vikings home games on october 3 and 10. governor tim walz announced the state's duluth covid-19 community testing site, located at the duluth entertainment convention center (decc), will double its daily capacity and add a weekend testing day. on october 4, 2021, governor tim walz announced that the state has extended the deadline for public and tribal schools to apply for grant funding to october 15, 2021. on october 13, 2021, governor tim walz announced that a new covid-19 community testing site will open in morris. 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. on october 18, 2021, governor tim walz announced the launch of "kids deserve a shot," a vaccine incentive program designed to encourage minnesotans aged 12 to 17 to get fully vaccinated against covid-19. on october 21, 2021, governor tim walz and u.s. bank stadium announced a new vaccination clinic outside u.s. bank stadium on october 24 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. before the rolling stones concert. on october 27, 2021, after the us food and drug administration advisory committee voted to recommend the use of the pfizer vaccine in children 5–11 years old, governor walz announced minnesota's plan to administer the covid-19 vaccine to children ages 5–11. on october 28, 2021, governor tim walz and the minnesota vikings announced another vaccination clinic and on-site reward giveaway to be held on october 31 at the vikings' home game. boosters will be given to eligible minnesotans in addition to the first and second doses. on october 29, 2021, governor tim walz announced the increase of covid-19 first dose vaccinations by nearly 40% among minnesotans aged 12 to 17. 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. as part of the governor's action plan to relieve hospitals overburdened by those requiring covid-19 care, governor tim walz announced the first skilled-nursing facility to serve as an alternative care site. on november 3, 2021, governor tim walz announced that the state will begin vaccinating children that week, after an extensive clinical trial and final cdc recommendations for the pfizer covid-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds. 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. on november 10, 2021, governor tim walz announced that a second skilled-nursing facility will serve as an alternative care site. governor tim walz also announced three new covid-19 rapid testing opportunities and a new saliva pcr testing site to expand network of community testing sites. on november 11, 2021, minnesota department of health (mdh) hosted over 1,000 community covid-19 vaccination events in collaboration with minnesota community organizations and providers according to governor tim walz, since february. on november 17, 2021, governor tim walz announced that the federal government has agreed to his urgent request for emergency staffing assistance at minnesota hospitals and that two department of defense medical teams will be dispatched to hospitals to relieve doctors and nurses treating covid-19 and other patients. 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. on november 23, 2021, governor tim walz announced that the minnesota department of health (mdh) and m health fairview are expanding access to monoclonal antibodies covid-19 treatments in the twin cities and greater minnesota . 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. 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. on december 2, 2021, governor tim walz announced that a third federal emergency medical team will be arriving in minnesota to assist hospitals. governor tim walz also issued the statement on the state's first case of the omicron covid-19 variant. on december 3, 2021, governor tim walz announced that minnesota will increase the number of covid-19 at-home rapid tests and booster shots available to minnesota families. 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. 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. on december 8, 2021, governor tim walz announced a new "celebrate safely, minnesota" campaign, a statewide effort to connect minnesotans to the resources they need to celebrate the holidays safely. 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. 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. 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. on december 15, 2021, the nation score card was released, politico ranked minnesota among the top five states for covid-19 response. on december 16, 2021, following his appeal to president biden for additional support, governor tim walz announced that the federal government's emergency staffing support at two minnesota hospitals will be extended. governor tim walz also announced an increase in testing capacity in the state's covid-19 community testing network in anticipation of increased demand before the holidays as part of the walz-flanagan administration's 'celebrate safely, minnesota' campaign. on december 21, 2021, governor tim walz issued a statement regarding positive covid-19 testing. governor tim walz also reminded minnesotans the effective steps they can take to celebrate this holiday season safely. 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. on january 4, 2022, new covid-19 testing resources for minnesotans across the state were announced by governor tim walz, this includes new community testing sites in the twin cities and east-central minnesota, expanded rapid testing availability, and more tests for schools. on january 6, 2022, governor tim walz announced that the minnesota national guard and the minnesota department of health will open a new covid-19 community testing site in anoka on friday, january 7. on january 7, 2022, governor tim walz announced that a new community vaccination site will open at oakdale on january 9 to provide first and second doses to minnesotans 5 and older, as well as booster doses to minnesotans 12 and older. governor tim walz also announced that the covid-19 community testing sites in inver grove heights and stillwater will be temporarily expanded following week to help increase capacity and accessibility for minnesotans seeking covid-19 tests. on january 11, 2022, governor tim walz announced the launch of the next phase of the 'kids deserve a shot' vaccine incentive program, the goal is to encourage minnesota families to