Minneapolis, St. Paul Reinstate City-Wide Mask Mandates

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter Wednesday both moved to reinstate city-wide mask mandates, which will require visitors, customers, and employees to wear masks while inside stores, restaurants, and other businesses.

"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 news 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."

Both mandates will take effect at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

"We have to keep our city healthy and moving. Wearing a mask is an obvious next step to do both," Frey said.

"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 mandate includes public places such as bars, museums, theaters, schools, recreational facilities, retail locations, and service offices.

Hospital capacity continues to dwindle in Minnesota as COVID-19 continues to circulate rapidly. December was the deadliest month in 2021 for COVID-19 cases in the state.