150 Minnesota restaurants & bars plan to defy coronavirus rules
Boardwalk bar & grill owner Jane Moss discuss defying Minnesota's indoor dining ban.
A group of restaurant owners in Minnesota are not backing down as the state may adopt new coronavirus restrictions.
“When they did our first shutdown, it didn’t feel right in my gut that they were doing this and I went to other business owners around me and said, 'Would you open up with me?' and they were too afraid and, of course, at that time, the virus was still very new," Jane Moss, owner of the Boardwalk Bar & Grill, told "Fox & Friends."
Gov. Tim Walz is expected to give an update on his decision for the expiring COVID-19 restrictions this Wednesday. According to CBSN, several business owners are defying the restrictions whether he permits them to reopen or not.
Moss is part of the Reopen Minnesota Coalition, an effort that began in the spring, consisting of 150 bars, restaurants, gyms and other businesses that plan to defy coronavirus restrictions even if the governor extends his latest orders.
“We just didn’t know if we would even have a workforce because of the unemployment benefits that they were getting at that time — the extra $600 a week, so we waited it out. And, but, this second one is killing us.”
As of Wednesday morning, the novel coronavirus had infected more than 73,573,455 people across 191 countries and territories, resulting in at least 1,637,805 deaths. In the U.S., all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19, tallying more than 16,725,039 illnesses and at least 303,867 deaths.
Gov. Walz closed bars, restaurants and fitness centers for four weeks on Nov. 20 as coronavirus cases and deaths reached record numbers in the state, according to local reports.
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Moss asserted that business owners “should not be afraid” of the government. Moss implored businesses in Minnesota to “open up.” Moss said that she has had no coronavirus cases traced to her restaurant.
“This is an illegal and unlawful order,” Moss said.
“We don't have to bow down to this order, and, I am so glad that these 150 to 200 businesses are following our lead in this,” Moss added.
Moss said that the support has been “overwhelming.”
“They're coming from all over the state, they’re coming from South Dakota. I am getting calls from Texas, from Florida, in this support. I have been threatened with massive fines and jail time from our Attorney General Keith Ellison, but we cannot back down, we will not back down.”
Fox News' Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
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