Now that Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison sued bars that defied Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s pandemic restrictions on indoor dining, the state’s western neighbor is once again telling Minnesotans they are welcome there.
Several Minnesota bars opened up last week despite the current restrictions due to COVID-19 that require outdoor, or to-go, only across the state. The Alibi in Lakeville was one of the most prominent with photos being spread across social media that showed the bar serving patrons with very few wearing masks and no social-distancing.
That led to fines, the suspension of liquor licenses, and now court dates, as Ellison and the state try to enforce the governor’s executive orders.
Now, Republican Governor Kristi Noem is again touting her state’s lack of restrictions and saying those bars are welcome in South Dakota.
In a retweet of a Star Tribune story published Tuesday morning, Noem, who has been outspoken in her belief that business rights supersede COVID restrictions, said, “Come to South Dakota!”
Come to South Dakota! We respect your rights. We won’t shut you down. https://t.co/FDaRj92Qmu
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) December 21, 2020
Also in the last week, the Minnesota GOP party sent out an invitation saying they were playing to hold their annual winter retreat in Deadwood, South Dakota, and head to our “friendly neighbors to the west in a beautiful, free and open part of the country."
South Dakota is the 46th most populous state but they’ve not been immune to coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Over the last week, South Dakota and Iowa have the most COVID-related deaths per 100,000 people in the country.
Tuesday, the state is reporting its lowest levels of cases since October. South Dakota hit a peak infection rate on November 15th.
Governor Noem has refused to limit gatherings, close any businesses, or issue mask mandates, saying, "Some have said that my refusal to mandate masks is a reason why our cases are rising here in South Dakota, and that is not true."
The CDC recommends wearing a mask and says scientific data has shown that masks do limit the spread of COVID-19.
Minnesota’s restrictions on restaurants currently allow for outdoor dining which is challenging in December. Despite that, a number of establishments set up patios for dining in the last week.
The current executive order runs until January 11th, at which point we’ll see if indoor dining is reopened.
