Walz Directs Flags To Be Lowered Friday To Honor COVID-19 Victims

MINNESOTA — As the state approaches the anniversary of its first coronavirus-related death, Gov. Tim Walz directed that flags at all state and federal buildings across Minnesota be flown at half-staff on the 19th of every month to mourn the loss of those lost to COVID-19, the governor's office announced Thursday.

That practice will begin on Friday, Walz said, as flags will be lowered to half-staff at sunrise and will remain in that position until sunset. The announcement comes on a day when Minnesota surpassed 500,000 coronavirus cases and when six additional people died from COVID-19. As of Thursday, 6,762 people in Minnesota have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

Minnesota experienced its first COVID-19 death on March 21, 2020.

“Since that day, over 6,700 of our parents, spouses, friends and neighbors have been lost to COVID-19,” Walz said in a statement issued Thursday. “As Minnesotans, we come together to remember and honor those who have passed during the past year of this deadly pandemic.”

Walz ,along with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and the state’s health commissioner, will quarantine for the next 14 days after coming into contact with a staff member who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Walz has not yet been vaccinated while Flanagan has received one dose of the Moderna vaccine, the governor’s office announced on Wednesday. The spokesperson said that Walz and the others were in the same room as the infected staff member but were not within six feet of the person for more than 15 minutes.

The state health department announced Thursday that more than 2 million people across the state have been vaccinated and that the state’s seven-day positivity rate remains at under 4 percent.

“As we turn a corner in this pandemic, we must remain committed to honoring and supporting our neighbors and community members who have suffered unthinkable losses,” Flanagan said in a news release announcing the flag-lowering at state buildings. “Minnesotans must continue to take steps to keep each other safe and prevent another surge of this deadly virus.”

While flags will be lowered to half-staff at state and federal buildings on the 19th of each month, the governor’s office encouraged businesses, private residences and businesses to join in in the practice to honor those who have lost their lives during the pandemic.