Mask Mandate Ends in Both Minneapolis and St. Paul

Two weeks after Minnesota’s governor ended the statewide mask mandate, Minneapolis and St. Paul have announced that citywide mandates will also be lifted. Workers and diners can now choose for themselves whether to wear masks or not inside local restaurants, bars, breweries, and distilleries.

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said 78.6 percent of city residents 15 and older have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. St. Paul’s vaccination rate has reached 71 percent of residents 12 years old and up. Mayor Melvin Carter said, “But our work is not done; we urge all residents to continue taking precautions and to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Many restaurants, like Pig Ate My Pizza and Brian Ingram’s Purpose Driven Restaurants, say they will allow diners to make their own choices as to their comfort level with dining inside or moving about the room, unmasked.

The announcement comes as Minnesota’s COVID-19 infection rate falls to a near-record 3.4 percent low.

In May Minnesota’s governor removed the pandemic restrictions on restaurant capacities and seating on May 28.

• COVID-19 test positivity nears record low in Minnesota [STRIB]
• Minneapolis and St. Paul End COVID Mask Mandates [WCCO]
• Nearly All COVID-19 Restrictions Lift in Minnesota [KARE11]