COVID: Minnetonka to consider citywide mask mandate
The City of Minnetonka will consider a citywide mask mandate at a meeting on Friday.
The city council will consider the mandate amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Minnetonka and across Minnesota due to the highly contagious omicron variant.
The meeting is being held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
If Minnetonka approves a mask mandate, it would be one of few cities that have begun to require masks in indoor public places again.
Last week, both Minneapolis and St. Paul brought back the mask mandate. The next day, the Minnesota Medical Association urged other cities to also issue public face mask mandates because "wearing well-fitted masks is a valuable strategy in our ongoing fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the highly contagious omicron variant."
Other cities have considered mask mandates but haven't gone as far as requiring them. The Duluth City Council on Monday rejected a mask mandate. The City of Edina rejected one too, while Bloomington passed a resolution to encourage but not require people to wear masks.
Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz has said he's not going to issue a statewide mask mandate at this time because he doesn't believe enough people will follow it to make a difference.
Public health officials continue to urge people to get vaccinated (and boosted), wear a well-fitting mask in public, practice physical distancing, get tested, avoid crowded settings and gather outdoors or in areas of good ventilation.
