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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter both announced today they are rescinding the mask mandates in each city, effective immediately.
“Today, the Twin Cities has good reason to be hopeful for the future, and I know that our residents will continue stepping up for one another as we navigate this next phase together,” Mayor Frey said in a statement. “While Minneapolis is experiencing a sustained downward trend in case and hospitalization rates, our public health team will continue closely monitoring relevant data—and that data will continue guiding policy decisions going forward.”
COVID-19 case rates in the Twin Cities have been dropping, with a 7-day new case rate of 135 per 100,000 individuals and positivity rates below the high-risk threshold in Minneapolis, and more than a 50 percent decrease in COVID-19 cases and almost 15 percent decline in new hospitalizations in Ramsey County, according to the latest data. Both mayors cited the decline in COVID-19 cases as a reason for ending the masking requirements. Individual organizations can still require masks at their own discretion.
The mandates were reinstated in early January because of rising COVID-19 case counts and the increased virulence of the Omicron strain. The mask requirements encompassed areas of public accommodation, including indoor locations ranging from bars, restaurants, museums, shops, theaters, and schools. Both cities will continue to uphold mask mandates for city employees and city-managed buildings and their visitors.
An emergency ordinance in St. Louis Park requiring face coverings in public expired on Tuesday. On Wednesday, both Washington and Dakota Counties ended their face mask requirements. In Washington County, masks will not be required in county buildings starting Feb. 28. For Dakota County, visitors and county employees will not be required to wear face masks in buildings beginning March 1. Major retailers like Minneapolis-based Target have also announced an end to in-store mask policies.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks are still strongly recommended in public indoor settings in areas of high community transmission. The CDC is expected to announce changes soon as to how it will use its metrics in determining future COVID-19 guidelines.
Just two weeks ago, the mayors also ended the vaccine-or-test mandate for indoor eateries.
