Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Server with mask on
Earlier this week, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, announced he was “hopeful” he could lift the mandate requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for restaurants. Now, with the sudden drop of COVID cases and hospitalizations, both mayors in St. Paul and Minneapolis sent out a press release today announcing they were rescinding the mandates in each city, effective immediately.
The orders went into effect mid-January, when the weekly new case rate exceeded 1,300 cases per 100,000 people and continued to rise rapidly with the more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus. It was implemented as record-level cases overwhelmed hospitals and COVID-19 testing sites were over capacity. The mandate became increasingly unpopular with local restaurants and businesses, facing a drop in customers that led to a group of restaurants to sue the city of Minneapolis. Weekly new case rates are currently at 499 per 100,000 people and positivity rates sit below the high-risk threshold.
“Key public health metrics are trending in the right direction,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement. “That is a welcomed sign for Minneapolis, especially for the small businesses and restaurants that have shouldered the weight of this pandemic. Let’s hold the momentum and bring our city back in full by continuing to follow public health guidance and supporting local businesses.”
The repeal comes less than a month after it was issued. The lifting of the vaccine-or-test mandate will not affect mask requirements, which will remain in effect for city-licensed businesses.
"We are grateful to be in a different place now than we were when this requirement first took effect,” Mayor Carter said in a statement. “While I encourage residents to continue to get vaccinated, wear masks, and practice social distancing while indoors, the sharp decline in cases and hospitalizations means we can safely lift the vaccine requirement in our city.”
