News

Gov. Doug Burgum received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as North Dakota reached another pandemic milestone with all counties now having health care providers serving the Phase 1C vaccine priority group.

With over 85 percent of North Dakota’s long-term care residents now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, Gov. Doug Burgum announced that the state will shift from state-driven guidance to locally driven decisions in basic care and assisted living facilities, while also providing testing supplies to all long-term care facilities as they transition to a post-vaccination phase.

Gov. Doug Burgum signed his first bill of the 2021 legislative session, extending a pilot program that aims to ensure all justice-involved, at-risk tribal and non-tribal youth have access to similar services.

Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Dr. Nizar Wehbi to serve as North Dakota’s State Health Officer, effective May 1. Wehbi currently serves as deputy director of the Center for Health Policy and assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

Gov. Doug Burgum appointed James Leiman to serve as state Commerce Commissioner, citing his extensive background in enhancing organizations and his effective leadership as the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s director of Economic Development and Finance (ED&F) since March 2018.

Gov. Doug Burgum participated in the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting, held in a virtual format, including a session with President Joe Biden that focused on pandemic response and ongoing efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to every U.S. state and territory.

Gov. Doug Burgum has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff until sunset Friday, Feb. 26, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in memory of the more than 500,000 Americans lost to COVID-19, including 1,438 North Dakotans who have died with COVID-19. The governor’s directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued today by President Joe Biden.

Gov. Doug Burgum has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff until sunset Friday, Feb. 26, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in memory of the more than 500,000 Americans lost to COVID-19, including 1,438 North Dakotans who have died with COVID-19. The governor’s directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued today by President Joe Biden.

Gov. Doug Burgum signed an executive order terminating several prior executive orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic that have fulfilled their stated objectives and are no longer necessary.

During a phone call with the administrator of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Gov. Doug Burgum urged the agency to give North Dakota utilities and their customers as much advance warning as possible before temporarily shutting off their electricity as directed by market operator Southwest Power Pool (SPP).