Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota Issue Mask Mandate due to the Pandemic.  Is Rochester Next?

I am feeling some deja vu right now as I hear the words "mask mandate".  Deja vu or not, it is happening again for Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The announcements were made on Wednesday, January 5th and as soon as I heard about it I reached out to Mayor Norton in Rochester, Minnesota to see if the latest news will impact our community as well.  Keep reading to see her latest statement regarding a mask mandate.

COVID-19 - Novel coronavirus - 2019-nCoV, WUHAN coronavirus outbreak
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Today, Majoy Jacob Frey signed emergency regulation No. 2022-1 reinstating the city-wide mask policy, which requires patrons, employees, and visitors wear a mask in businesses and places of public accommodation.  The policy takes effect at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 6th.

 

Today, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter signed Executive Order 2022-2, renewing the requirement for facemasks to be work indoors in all city-controlled facilities and at all businesses licensed by the City of Saint Paul at all times when social distancing of at least 6 feet is not maintained, except for temporary removal of face covering when eating or drinking. All businesses are strongly encouraged to continue to require that all individuals wear a face covering indoors at all times when social distancing of at least 6 feet is not maintained. The reinstated requirement for licensed businesses takes effect on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 5 p.m. - stpaul.gov

 

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Is a mask mandate in Rochester's future now that Minneapolis and St. Paul have one in place?

The question that immediately came to my mind as soon as I heard Minneapolis and St. Paul were implementing another mask mandate was, "Is Rochester going to implement a mask mandate too?".  I know I'm not the only one wondering if this is something we need to plan for in our community so I reached out to Mayor Norton to see if she could answer that question for me.

“No action is being contemplated at this time as the City Council has not indicated a change of mind on this issue. Should four Council members indicate support, I am, and have been, willing to implement a masking requirement to slow the spread of COVID-19.” - Mayor Norton, City of Rochester

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Do you think Rochester, Minnesota should implement a mask mandate?

I know there are a ton of differing opinions on this but we learn from one another by having discussions.  If you are open to having one with me and want to share your thoughts, I'd love to hear why you are for or against a mask mandate.  Just send me a message on my Facebook page - Jessica On The Radio.

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Major Milestones From Beginning of COVID-19 Pandemic in Olmsted County, Minnesota

News and information about the virus were slowly making their way through Minnesota and the Rochester area during late February 2020. Mayo Clinic became aware of the virus in January because of a partnership it had with a Chinese firm. This gave Mayo a head start in developing its own test for the virus which it knew would be needed for its patients.

Scroll through the gallery to see the significant milestones from the first two months of the pandemic in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

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