WOOD LAKE — As a stay-at-home order and other precautions against COVID-19 continue, Minnesota communities are anxious about the effect on local businesses. In parts of southwest Minnesota, local government officials are speaking out against Gov. Tim Walz’s restrictions.

On Monday, the city of Wood Lake’s Facebook page posted a letter from Wood Lake Mayor David Stelter asking Walz not to extend his executive orders. While Stelter’s letter said he understood the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses and individuals in the community have been “irreversibly affected” by the economic slowdown caused by Walz’s orders. The stay-at-home order is currently set to last through May 18.

Stelter’s letter was addressed to Walz, with copies going to area state legislators including Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, and Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls.

In his letter, Stelter said many residents of Wood Lake work in “non-essential” businesses, which have not been allowed to stay open since March 18.

“The closing of these ‘non-essential’ businesses has resulted in real life consequences for these businesses, employees and the city and county they live in, not to mention for the entire economy of the state of Minnesota,” Stelter’s letter said. “These local small businesses most certainly contribute less risk to the health of the community than the ‘big box’ stores that we are forced to utilize in their stead.”

Stelter’s letter urged Walz to save small businesses and Minnesota communities by not extending any more executive orders. “They need to be reopened sooner than later and breathe some life back into this area and our economy, and you are most certainly aware of how the ag sector has fared in the last number of years. With the downward spiral of crop, cattle, hog and dairy prices for the last four years, we cannot continue on this path, we need what we have to remain viable,” the letter said.

The Independent reached out to Stelter on Monday, but he declined to comment on his letter at that time.

However, Wood Lake isn’t alone in its desire to reopen local businesses. Last week, a survey conducted by the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce and the Marshall Economic Development Authority found that Marshall area businesses were reporting a loss of customers and negative economic impact in the wake of Walz’s executive orders.

Officials in the southwestern Minnesota town of Lakefield went a step further than Wood Lake, with the Lakefield City Council passing a resolution last week declaring Lakefield a “constitutional and business-friendly community.” The resolution said the city wouldn’t direct any resources toward enforcing the state orders, although city officials also couldn’t guarantee that businesses that open in defiance of the orders wouldn’t get in trouble with Jackson County or the state of Minnesota.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota continued to rise over the weekend. The state is now at a total of 11,799 positive cases. Of that total, 452 people are currently hospitalized and 7,536 people have recovered and no longer need to be isolated. There have been 591 deaths statewide, the Minnesota Department of Health said Monday.

In the Marshall area, the number of positive COVID-19 cases rose as well. The MDH is now reporting 18 cases in Lyon County, four in Lincoln County and 29 in Murray County.