MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The above video originally aired on Feb.25, 2022.
Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul signed executive orders Thursday, March 10 that lift the mask requirement for city facilities as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward.
Visitors and employees in those buildings will no longer be required to wear a mask.
"We continue to make policy decisions based on current data," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a news release. "Minneapolis is sustaining a downward trend in case and hospitalization rates, and the new CDC indicators reflect a low community level classification in Hennepin County. Thanks to the dedication of our employees, we've reached the necessary benchmarks to safely lift this requirement for our workforce and buildings."
"We are entering a new, promising phase of our recovery," said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter in a statement. "While we still have work to do, I'm glad we are in the place to safely wind down emergency masking measures."
Last month Mayor Frey and Mayor Carter ended the indoor face mask requirements for public areas and businesses in their respective cities.
Several other government agencies and businesses have rolled back their face covering requirements due to declining COVID numbers.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board also announced Thursday that it will no longer require visitors to wear a mask in its buildings.
It is now up to visitors' discretion if they plan to wear a mask or not. It is strongly recommended that if you are unvaccinated or vaccinated that you continue to keep a safe distance of 6 feet apart, unless you are of the same household.
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