Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey along with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter are considering vaccine mandates for restaurants, bars, and other public spaces according to WCCO Radio political analyst Blois Olson. Olson says that both mayors could announce a mandate as soon as Friday.
Under the mandate, privately run restaurants, bars, and clubs within the city would be required to have patrons show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter the establishment.
Olson first reported on Thursday morning that the mandate was under consideration.
"Multiple cities from New York to Los Angeles have implemented such mandates, One challenge is that Minneapolis and St. Paul currently have different guidance for city employees," Olson said. "For instance, St. Paul has mandated employees be vaccinated, in Minneapolis employees are required to show a negative test, unless they are vaccinated. It’s a subtle difference but legally it makes a difference, and clarity will be important in any guidance."
The decision comes just after both cities announced they were reinstating a mask mandate for all patrons, employees, and visitors in businesses and places of public accommodation.
Blois added that since vaccine mandates are different for employees in both cities, both Frey and St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter are working to see how the mandate would work.
"They want to make it consistent and aligned in both cases," he said. "In St. Paul, it's mandated that city employees get the vaccine and then they can ask for a waiver. In Minneapolis, city employees are required to show a negative test when they come to work, but if they have the vaccine, then they don't have to show a negative test."
For both cities, areas of public accommodations include “any indoor locations where members of the public may gather, visit, or patronize and can include, but are not limited to, bars, restaurants, museums, theaters, schools, recreational facilities, retail locations, and service offices.”
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