MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on April 13, 2022.
Minneapolis Public Schools officials say the district is lifting its mask mandates for all schools, buildings and transportation, citing the city's decline in COVID-19 rates.
District officials announced the news Thursday in a statement, saying that lower COVID numbers, in tandem with updated health and safety practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prompted the decision.
The district also updated its contact tracing and quarantine guidelines as part of the move. MPS says it will discontinue universal contact tracing, and lower the quarantine period from 10 days to five days, with masks required from days six through 10.
For students and staff who are fully vaccinated, there will be no required quarantine period for those exposed to COVID.
Should students or staff test positive, an isolation period of 10 days will still be required.
In a statement, MPS Superintendent Ed Graff said the district is committed to meeting the needs of its students.
"MPS remains committed to maximizing in-person learning, meeting the academic and mental health needs of our students, and providing a safe learning environment for all," Graff said in a statement.
The updated protocols will go into effect Monday, April 18.
Earlier this week, St. Paul Public Schools also announced the district would drop its mask mandates beginning April 18.
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