Gov. Tim Walz Thursday signed Executive Order 20-63, which outlines the second phase of Stay Safe MN.

As announced last week, Phase II includes a cautious, strategic turn of the dial for outdoor dining at restaurants and bars to start June 1, with safety measures in place and capacity limits. Personal services like salons and barbershops can also open on June 1 at 25 percent capacity with safety measures in place.

A return to dining inside a restaurant could be the next step in lifting COVID-19 restrictions, but in the meantime, area restaurants that do NOT have outdoor seating, are scrambling to make space and get some of their customer base back.

Heidi and Luis, owners of Los Ortiz’s in Becker — who don’t have any outdoor seating options — contacted the city immediately, applied for permits and began putting up fencing to accommodate outdoor seating in their parking lot.

“There is a max capacity of 50 people per Governor Walz,” said Heidi.

She was asked what would they do should inclement weather arrive?

“If it rains I guess we will have to see,” she said. “There will be umbrellas, but depending on how much it rains we might just go to takeout only.”

Fortunately for other restaurants in the area, like Charlie’s Bar & Grill and Pebble Creek Grill — they are already set up for outdoor dining and appear good to go come Monday.

The Ortiz’s — like all area restaurants and bars — has been hit hard by the closures that at first, appeared to be temporary and short-lived. However, after several months, the toll on the business is prodigious.

“It has definitely been a learning curve just like everyone else,” she said of the closures. “Going from dine-in to takeout only is a huge change. We definitely had a decrease in sales during this time.”

“We are excited to see our customers back again and hope they are excited to finally be able to drink a refreshing margarita while enjoying ‘hot’ food.”

Thursday was Walz’s first public comment on the next phase of the “Stay Safe” plan since he reached an agreement last Saturday to broaden access to houses of worship beyond the limit of 10 people that he had originally set.
““We have been very cognizant of the pain that is causing economically,” Walz said of the restrictions on bars and eateries. “I think it is falling heavily on restaurants and the hospitality industry.”

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said the state’s data indicators painted a “mixed picture” of COVID-­19’s impact on health care resources.

Wednesday, another 33 deaths were reported, matching a previous record set five days ago, bringing the total number of deaths in the state caused by the pandemic to 932.

Among the newly reported deaths, 27 were among residents of long-term care facilities. So far, 81% of the 932 fatalities have been nursing home or assisted living residents.

Sherburne County has 219 confirmed cases and two deaths.