MINNEAPOLIS — Video above first aired Aug. 2, 2021
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter issued new mask guidance for indoor spaces in their respective cities Tuesday, requiring face coverings for local government staff and inside city-owned buildings.
The mayors are also encouraging mask use in all other indoor public spaces, despite vaccination status. The new guidelines will go into effect Wednesday.
"Getting the vaccine will help protect you and your neighbors from a deadly virus and it is the single most important action we can all take to curb the need for further restrictions," Frey said in a statement.
Carter added, "These measures will help protect us as we continue our work to get our entire community vaccinated."
City officials, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, say they will revisit the guidance as they continue to monitor transmission rates.
The recommendation comes as cases of the COVID-19 delta variant rise across the country. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all people wear facemasks, even if they are vaccinated. Hennepin and Ramsey Counties are both listed at "substantial transmission" rates, meaning there have been 50-100 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people over a 7-day period.