BISMARCK — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said he intends to allow closed businesses to reopen on Friday, May 1.

Last month, Burgum ordered the closure of concert venues, movie theaters, gyms, nail salons, massage parlors and barber shops, as well as restaurants and bars for on-site service.

The governor said at a press conference Monday, April 27, that businesses can reopen at the end of the week if the state continues to see a low rate of positive tests for COVID-19. However, the affected businesses will be required to meet standard operating rules that have not yet been announced.

"We've come a long way together, and when we started this, (I) said we're well-prepared and well-positioned," Burgum said. "I would say as we start this new phase, we're well-prepared and well-positioned."

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp and the state cosmetology board have issued guidelines for reopening restaurants and personal care businesses that include requiring that staffers wear face masks, screening employees for signs of COVID-19 and restricting the number of patrons that can be served at one time, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

listen live watch live

Schools will remain closed for now as the state's 175 districts continue to teach students via distance learning programs, Burgum said.

The governor said great concerns remain for the state's most vulnerable residents: people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions. He urged residents who fall in those categories to stay home for at least another two weeks after the closure's end. Burgum noted Monday that he's not at all considering allowing visitation at nursing homes to resume.

The number of cases in residents and employees of nursing homes and long-term care facilities shot up by 40 on Monday to 109. All but 14 of the cases in nursing homes have come in Fargo, including 25 at Villa Maria, 23 at Eventide, 16 at Rosewood on Broadway and 13 at Bethany on 42nd. Three nursing homes in Grand Forks, Tufte Manor, Maple View and Valley Senior Living on Columbia, have reported four total cases of the illness.

Burgum said the decision to allow businesses to reopen was based on eight criteria, including testing capabilities, health care capacity and ability to trace the source of the virus in newly infected patients. The state has checked enough of the boxes to begin a "smart restart," he said. The low rate of positive tests at 6.2% and the comparatively high amount of tests completed also influenced the decision, Burgum said.

Cass and Grand Forks counties, which combined are home to 33% of the state's population, have seen cases rise at a fast rate over the last two weeks. Burgum said there is no plan to keep businesses closed in those hotspots, in part because that could cause residents from the two counties to flow into surrounding rural counties where businesses are open. He added that the state could theoretically institute county-specific restrictions.

The Republican governor running for reelection this year has faced pressure from members of his own party to reopen businesses. Earlier this month, 13 conservative state lawmakers signed a letter asking Burgum to rescind the closure order, saying it has "resulted in immeasurable social and economic harm" for businesses and residents.

Meanwhile, state Democratic-NPL Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said she worries Burgum is "caving to orders from Washington and those in his party who have publicly refused to follow his executive order any longer," but she added that the party will reserve judgment until the rules for reopening businesses are announced Tuesday.

COVID-19 deaths rise to 19 in North Dakota as cases continue climbing

Earlier in the day, the North Dakota Department of Health confirmed that two Cass County men in their 80s with underlying health conditions have died from COVID-19.

Nineteen North Dakotans, including 12 Cass County residents, have now succumbed to the illness, which has claimed more than 54,000 lives nationwide.

The department on Monday also announced 75 new cases of COVID-19, marking the second highest single-day total since the outbreak started last month. However, the state also reported the most test results for a single day at 1,987. It's the fourth straight day the state has announced more than 1,000 test results.

Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard, said last week that the state aims to perform at least 1,800 tests per day by the end of the month. Burgum said Monday the state and its health care providers aim to perform 6,000 tests per day by the end of June.

The total number of positive tests for the virus in North Dakota is up to 942, but 350 people have recovered from the illness. There are 23 residents hospitalized with the illness, up five from Sunday.

Thirty-six new cases were reported in Grand Forks County, which has seen a major outbreak at a wind turbine manufacturing plant in the last two weeks. The department announced last week there were 128 total known cases, including 11 Minnesota residents, associated with the LM Wind Power plant, including employees and people with whom they've had close contact. Burgum said Monday he didn't know how many cases are now tied to the plant. The county now has 231 known cases of the illness, the second most in the state.

Thirty-four of the new cases Monday came from Cass County, which encompasses Fargo and West Fargo. The state's most populous county now has 431 known cases — or 46% of the state's total.

The health department and the North Dakota National Guard performed drive-thru testing Saturday in a parking lot next to the Fargodome, but it's unclear how many of those test results have been announced.

The other five new cases Monday came from Walsh, Ramsey and Mountrail counties.

A total of 22,434 tests for the virus have been reported by the state, and 35 counties now have at least one known case of the illness. There are still no reported cases from 18 rural counties. However, Burgum has previously said that the cases are reported based on patients' mailing addresses rather than their actual location in the state, so it is unknown where infected patients are isolating or seeking medical help.

As a public service, we’ve opened this article to everyone regardless of subscription status. If this coverage is important to you, please consider supporting local journalism by clicking on the subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.