With a recent surge in COVID-19 cases due to the infectious omicron variant throughout the state and the nation, St. Paul and Minneapolis have reinstated mask mandates.
In St. Paul, all licensed businesses and city-controlled facilities will require masks. While in Minneapolis, all patrons, employees, and visitors must wear a mask in businesses and places of public accommodation.
Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced that policies would take effect on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.
“We have to keep our city healthy and moving. Wearing a mask is an obvious next step to do both,” Frey said in a press release. “The data is clear. The surging numbers of cases and hospitalizations from the Omicron variant demand immediate action to keep our residents healthy while making every effort to allow schools and businesses to remain safe and open across our Twin Cities.”
The reinstatement of the mandate comes as Ramsey and Hennepin County have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks. As a result, both mayors signed their executive orders on Wednesday afternoon.
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Now, masks will be required in St. Paul at all city-controlled facilities and at all businesses licensed by the City of Saint Paul at all times when social distancing of at least six feet can not be done.
St. Paul is also encouraging all businesses to require all individuals to wear a face-covering indoors at all times social distancing can’t be maintained.
In Minneapolis, 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.”
“Reinstating the masking requirement is an important step in keeping our communities safe amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in Saint Paul,” Carter said in a press release. “This, alongside our work to ensure Saint Paul residents have the tools and access they need to get vaccinated are paramount to recovering from this pandemic and building toward our future.”
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The mandates will apply to all individuals except young children at risk of suffocation and those who are medically unable to wear a face covering. Vaccination status does not play a part in the mandate.
“Acceptable face coverings include manufactured or homemade cloth face coverings, and are not required to be medical-grade masks. Face coverings must fully cover a person’s nose and mouth,” the St. Paul press release said.
Minneapolis did not specify the acceptable types of masks but did say in its press release that it would continue to make masks available to businesses and organizations at no cost.
