ROCHESTER, Minn. - The stay-at-home order has been in place in Minnesota for nearly a week now.
The Rochester Police Department tells KIMT News 3 that so far the community has been doing a good job but does say there can be consequences for not following the rules.
The stay-at-home order does allow for enforcement meaning officers can issue a misdemeanor citation if people gather in groups of ten or more people, go to public parks, or are being unruly.
Lt. Tom Faudskar explained, “Our officers are going out and talking to people about the order and the need for the order and how it's helping keep everybody safe. And, so far we haven't had any issues with the groups we've encountered dispersing and we haven't had to issue any citations.”
The department says the citation could result in up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail. However the department says that severe level of enforcement is unlikely to happen.
Olmsted County Emergency management is also noticing how the community is stepping up.
Director Mike Bromberg says in particular the traffic volume on Rochester roadways is much lower.
He said, “The traffic levels in Rochester have been down at least 50-percent from a year ago, most days down 75-percent, so I think across the state it's working very well.”
The department is, of course, asking people to continue avoiding public gathering spaces.
The two week stay-at-home order is set to expire at 5PM on April 10th but Gov. Tim Walz says it’s possible that the order could be extended.
