Hennepin County is once again mandating masks in county buildings for employees, volunteers, and visitors ages five and up, starting on Wednesday morning.
Administrator David Hough made the announcement to the county board on Tuesday. The decision has come following an influx of companies returning their mask mandates following the spread of the Delta Variant.
The decision came based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance following the spread of the Delta variant.
In may the variant accounted for 1% of cases nationwide but now accounts for more than 80%.
“The reason for this change is that vaccinated people may still transmit the virus to others,” the county said in a press release. “According to CDC data, the current seven-day transmission rate in Hennepin County as of July 31 is 65.65 per 100,000. This rate has been trending up since the week of June 28.”
On Monday, Target announced that masks will be required for customers and employees yet again, regardless of vaccination status in hotspots across the nation.
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There still is no mask mandate state-wide, but some expect Gov. Tim Walz to announce whether the state will see the return of masks within the coming days.