Mask mandate ends in Rochester, too

May 14—Gov. Tim Walz's decision to lift the state's mask mandate Friday means that the City of Rochester's mandate ended as well, said Rochester Mayor Kim Norton.

Norton said the language of the city's resolution issued by her and ratified by the city council gave the state's mandate precedence. So when the state lifted its mandate, Rochester's came off, too.

But Norton said city officials would continue to monitor coronavirus data, and expressed concern that virus spread in the area still remains high. While the vaccination rate in the city hovers at 75 percent, Olmsted County is only at 55 percent.

ALSO READ: Minnesota's mask mandate will end Friday, Gov. Tim Walz says

And as the home to a medical community where people with vulnerable conditions come for treatment, Norton said she worries that lifting the mask mandate was premature.

"There's reason for concern that this happened as quickly as it did," Norton said Friday morning. "Hospitalizations are very low right now, which is good. If we see a change in that, we might want to reconsider."

Still confusion reigned. People might find the terrain confusing in terms of places where masks are not mandated and places where they are. As of the moment, it appeared that mask wearing would still be required in city buildings, but that the county wasn't mandating them in its buildings.

The University of Minnesota Rochester this weekend is holding its graduation at Mayo Civic Center, which is a city-owned property but managed by a private company. So the rules there remained unclear Friday morning.

Mask use in health care buildings and on public transit will still be required, according to Walz's decision. Private property owners and businesses also have discretion to mandate masks.

Norton noted that Walz's decision to lift the mask mandate is not the same thing as the federal recommendation that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks in most situations. It requires people to act on their honor.

It presumes that "people who are unvaccinated will continue to wear masks and you know that's not the case," Norton said. "The same people who don't want to get vaccinated are also the people who don't want to wear masks."

"I wish that he had stuck with the 70 percent," Norton said about the Walz's stated goal of reaching a 70 percent vaccination rate statewide before lifting the mandate. "I'm disappointed that he did not stick with his original plan."

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City of Winona follows suit

When Minnesota's mask mandate ends, there will be no local mask order in the City of Winona and masks will no longer be required in public indoor or outdoor spaces.

Winona's order went into effect July 2020, weeks before the state mandate was announced, and was one of the first in the state in a time of rapidly rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the city. It was ordered by then-Mayor Mark Peterson and affirmed by the Winona City Council. When the mask order was announced, it included a provision that the order would be superseded by any state mandates — Minnesota announced its state mask mandate later that month, and the City Council did not extend the local order.

Masks will no longer be required at city facilities, including the library, Friendship Center, and City Hall. Masks will still be required on public transit, per the governor's order, including city buses. Residents doing business with the city, either in the community or in city facilities, are welcome to ask employees to wear masks if that makes them comfortable.

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Olmsted Medical Center continues requiring masks

A statement from OMC:

"To help ensure the safety of patients, family members, visitors, and staff and help everyone feel confident, Olmsted Medical Center (OMC) will continue to require masks to be worn inside all our buildings. Although the CDC guidance recently stated that individuals who have been full vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus will no longer have to wear a mask outside or indoors in certain settings, they also mentioned this loosening of requirements does not include healthcare settings. OMC will continue to follow guidelines related to masking from CDC and Minnesota Department of Health."