ST PAUL, Minn. — Fans attending this weekend's Minnesota Vikings or Minnesota Wild games will be required to wear a mask after the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul announced new mask mandates.
On Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced a new mandate for all businesses within city limits and "places of public accommodation." The mandate will go into effect Thursday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.
In response, the Vikings, who host the Chicago Bears on Sunday, released a statement saying they will comply with the new mandate and require face coverings to be worn at all times inside U.S. Bank Stadium, except when eating or drinking.
The Wild issued a similar statement following St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's announcement of a citywide mask mandate for all city-controlled property or businesses licensed by the city. The Wild, who host the Washington Capitals Saturday, say face coverings must be worn while inside Xcel Energy Center at all times, with the exception of when a person is eating or drinking. Like the mandate in Minneapolis, St. Paul's will go into effect Thursday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.
Both mandates come as COVID cases surge in the Twin Cities and hospitals remain at or near capacity. According to the Minnesota Department of Health's latest data available, 1,405 people are being treated for COVID in hospitals around the state, with 1,120 in non-ICU beds and 285 in the ICU.
Health officials say there are no staffed pediatric ICU and non-ICU beds available in the central portion of the state, while in the metro, there are six staffed pediatric ICU beds but just one staffed adult ICU bed available.
Case-wise, the state has seen a steady increase in cases since August, with a large spike of omicron cases stemming from the holiday season. MDH says omicron, considerably more contagious than other variants, now accounts for around 90% of current cases.
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