The COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota is part of an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the state of Minnesota. The first confirmed case was reported on March 6, 2020. Governor Tim Walz declared a state of emergency on March 13.
As of May 28, 2021, Minnesota has administered 5,360,493 COVID-19 vaccine doses, and has fully vaccinated 2,329,984 people, equivalent to 41.88 percent of the population.
On May 6, 2021, Governor Tim Walz announced that COVID-19 restrictions would end on May 28, 2021, and the mask mandate would be lifted July 1, 2021. On Friday May 14, 2021, Tim Walz signed an executive order that lifted the mask mandate.
By January 2026, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that cumulative positive cases in the state had surpassed 2,000,000, including reinfections. For the first week of January 2026, the statewide case rate was recorded at approximately 30.7 per 100,000 residents.
Preparations
The Minnesota Department of Health began testing for the virus on January 20. During this time, no cases were positively tested in Minnesota. State health officials were monitoring for potential cases and making plans to contain future outbreaks.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester began fast-tracking development of a test for the virus in mid-February.
Timeline
March 2020
March 6
The first positive test was confirmed in the state. The patient had recently taken a Grand Princess cruise on a ship with a known case. The patient was an older adult from Ramsey County and had started having symptoms on February 25 and received medical care on March 5. They returned home to recover in isolation. Governor Tim Walz said "I'm confident that Minnesota is prepared for this."
March 8
The second positive test in the state was confirmed in Carver County. A patient in their 50s began having symptoms on March 2 after likely being exposed while traveling in Europe in February. They sought medical care on March 7 and began recovering at home in isolation.
March 10
The twenty-third Minnesota patient was hospitalized in critical condition at an Anoka County hospital. The patient is in their 30s and had no obvious underlying conditions. They developed symptoms on February 28 after being in contact with international travelers, which likely exposed them to the virus. They were evaluated on March 3 and released at that time without being tested, which the Minnesota Department of Health had deemed "appropriate". They returned for medical services on March 9. According to health officials, there was no evidence the virus was being transmitted person to person in the state yet.
A bill to set aside $20.8 million for Minnesota's coronavirus outbreak response is signed by Governor Walz. This money is in addition to the $4.6 million already in the account for public health response, totaling over $25 million.
March 11
5 total cases in Minnesota have been confirmed. The fourth patient is in their 50s, in Olmsted County, and was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The fifth patient is in Ramsey County and in their 30s.
The University of Minnesota announces the suspension of classes across all five campuses. The university will extend its spring break to two weeks, ending March 18, at which time classes will resume through online instruction. Online instruction will continue until at least April 1 including field experience and clinical. During this time, residence halls, dining services, and other student services will continue normal operation.
Mayo Clinic also began "drive-through testing" for the virus, though patients still needed to be approved to be tested by telephone screening.
March 12
9 total cases are confirmed in Minnesota with the four new cases all considered to be travel-related. The new cases are reported in Hennepin, Dakota, and Stearns counties. All non-critical cases had begun recovering at home in isolation. At this time, the Minnesota Department of Health did not recommend closing schools.
March 13
14 total cases are confirmed in Minnesota; the new cases were reported to be in Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Dakota, Carver, and Wright counties. As of this date, more than 550 people have been tested for the virus in the state.
Governor Walz declares a peacetime state of emergency. He says, "We are going into a heightened state of readiness to protect Minnesotans."
March 14
21 total cases confirmed in Minnesota. All 7 new cases were connected to contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. All seven patients begin recovering at home in self-isolation. 868 total tests have been conducted.
March 15
35 total cases confirmed in Minnesota. The new cases involved residents of Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Olmsted, Waseca, and Washington counties. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Health reports three of the new cases were exposed via community transmission.
Governor Tim Walz announces the temporary closure of all Minnesota K-12 public schools from March 18 until March 27. He says, "My top priority as Governor is the safety of Minnesotans. As a former teacher, and father of two teenage kids, I'm especially focused on the safety of our children." During the school shutdown, meals and mental health services will still be provided to students in need. Under the governor's order, schools will remain open for elementary-aged children of health care workers and other emergency workers. Teachers will be using this time to plan for a possibility of weeks of long-distance learning.
March 16
The Minnesota Legislature begins scaling back operations as the State House and Senate will be meeting on an on-call basis. For future meetings, they will be meeting in locations that allow for 6 feet between representatives.
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.
March 17
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today announces that due to a national shortage of COVID-19 laboratory testing materials, the state is forced to make adjustments to its testing criteria to focus on the highest priority specimens, including hospitalized patients.
March 21
The state confirms its first death due to the virus; the patient was from Ramsey County and was in their 80s. The patient had contracted the virus from a confirmed case. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan also confirms her brother died due to the coronavirus in Nashville, TN.
March 23
The governor makes several announcements regarding the state's response to the virus:
- A small business loan program would be made available for possibly 5000 businesses during the week for amounts between $2,500 and $35,000
- All elective veterinary surgeries would be halted
- The budget for the response to the virus would be revised, asking for an additional $365 million
March 25
The state announces a total of 287 confirmed cases of the virus, 26 of which required hospitalization. It is reported that the actual number of cases was likely at least 10 times higher than this number.
Governor Tim Walz signs Executive Order 20-20. This order states that all people currently residing in Minnesota are to shelter in place beginning March 27, 2020 at 11:59PM through April 10, 2020 at 5:00PM. Walz also signs executive orders 20-18 and 20–19. Executive order 20-18 extended the previous statewide closure of all non-essential businesses, which was due to end March 27, 2020, to remain closed until May 1, 2020. Executive Order 20-19 extended school closures and a "Distance Learning Period" was ordered to begin in Minnesota from March 30, 2020, until May 4, 2020.
April 2020
April 8
Governor Tim Walz extended the Stay at Home (Executive Order 20–33) order until May 3 at 11:59 PM. He cited his reason for doing so due to the new data and new discoveries on about COVID-19 since the original order was put in place. He is also allowing hardware and garden shops to open so long as they follow all the Minnesota Department of Health guidelines.
April 17
During the early hours of the 17th, President Donald Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MINNESOTA" in reference to Governor Tim Walz's stay at home order. Later that afternoon, several hundred citizens protested the order in front of the Governor's Residence in St. Paul. The protest was organized largely via Facebook by the Minnesota Gun Rights Caucus. 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. Dorr has two older brothers who are also gun-rights advocates. The three have used their collective social media presence to call for additional protests.
During his usual daily press conference, 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. As well as allowing people to engage in various outdoor activities, he allowed golf courses and bait shops to open.
April 29
MDH Covid data results from April 29, 2020, included a backlog of tests loaded into system. https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html#testingm1
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 is requiring certain personnel to wear face masks and strongly urging the general public to do the same.
May 2020
The Minnesota State Fair was cancelled in response to the pandemic.
May 18
After being previously extended, the stay-at-home order expired and was replaced with a "stay safe Minnesota" order. This occurred at a time when new cases and hospitalizations were both increasing. 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." He also announced that bars, restaurants, gyms, and salons would remain closed.
May 21
The current single-day record of new cases was set, with 982 positive tests being reported.
May 26
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. Most protesters wore masks and people were generally able to limit exposure through social distancing, brief interactions, and by being outdoors. While health experts warned that the protests could lead to an increased risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases, testing indicated that few of the protesters contracted the disease. 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.
June 2020
June 3
MDH Covid data results from June 3, 2020, included a backlog of tests loaded into system. https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html#testingm1
June 12
Gov. Walz extended the emergency order through July 13.
June 12
At least 88 of approximately 1,000 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Shakopee tested positive. An additional 99 positive tests had been reported at other Amazon sites in the Twin Cities as of this date.
June 12–13
Over 100 cases were reported among people in their 20s who patronized crowded bars in the Mankato area, during the first weekend that indoor service was permitted. A cluster of 30 cases was also reported at two Minneapolis bars.
July 2020
Minnesota experienced a significant increase in positive cases beginning in late June and extending into July consistent with the greater nationwide trend. However, in mid-July, the number of new deaths and hospitalizations were still decreasing. It has been observed that this increase was largely driven by the 20-29 age group, and by communities in the Twin Cities suburbs.
July 13
Gov. Walz extended the emergency order for 30 more days, through August 12.
July 20
The state records its youngest fatality from the virus: A 9 month old baby from Clay County who died with no underlying health conditions.
August 2020
August 12
A Seneca Foods packing facility in Glencoe had 33 confirmed and 12 suspected cases. Although about 200 workers had been tested on arrival, test results were delayed by more than 10 days.
August 18
MDH Covid data results from August 18, 2020, included a backlog of tests loaded into system. https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html#testingm1