Rochester leaders weigh mask mandate

A surge in coronavirus cases across the country is renewing debate here in Rochester over whether the city, which prides itself on health, should mandate the use of face coverings in indoor public spaces.

Worrying trends nationwide

For the third time in as many days, the U.S. set a new daily high in cases, with over 40,000 people testing positive for Covid-19. Significant spikes have been reported in a number of states, including California and Texas.

The rise in cases nationwide is being attributed, in part, to young adults who have been crowding bars and beaches in large numbers.

In Minnesota, for instance, the share of young adults testing positive for Covid-19 has skyrocketed in recent weeks — with people ages 20-29 now accounting for nearly 40 percent of all news cases. Even here in the Med City, there have been reports of crowded bars on weekend nights. In many cases, patrons are not socially distancing or wearing face masks.

Experts warn that these trends could jeopardize the months of sacrificing Americans endured through stay-at-home orders and lock-downs.

A call to action

On Friday, the Minnesota Medical Association called on public and private leaders to require the wearing of masks in indoor settings in Minnesota to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

While some cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, have passed policies requiring people to wear masks in indoor public spaces, Rochester has not yet passed any such mandate.

That could change, however. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton is now working with the city council to draft language mandating face mask usage in city facilities. A vote on the subject could happen as early as Monday.

Meanwhile, the city is also reviewing what its options are for requiring masks to be worn in indoor spaces on commercial properties.

“We've watched the steady decline in use [of masks] and followed the steady growth in cases,” Council Member Nick Campion said in a Facebook post on Friday. “It is clear, the right decision for our community is for community members to use face masks.”

Mayor Norton, a vocal advocate for wearing masks, said by email she would be willing to add a citywide mandate on masks to her existing emergency order, though she is not sure the votes on the council would be there. (Any mask mandate would require majority support from the council.)

In lieu of getting support for that proposal, she has reached out to local partners to get a unified message out to the community requesting everyone wear a mask. She said the city is also working to deploy free face masks to community members who still need them.

“We wouldn’t even need to discuss a mandate if people would simply wear masks voluntarily as part of a caring community effort,” she said.

Reservations from council members

City Attorney Jason Loos said he would advise any citywide mandate not be treated as a criminal matter, but rather be left to administrative enforcement. Still, at least two council members said Friday they still have concerns about the proposal.

Ward 5’s Shaun Palmer said he would support a mask requirement, but only if the Mayo Clinic and the Olmsted County Public Health Department recommended it. Ward 4’s Mark Bilderback said he has questions about enforcement, suggesting the city should only be authorized to mandate masks be worn by employees while they are on duty.

“We can be good examples by wearing them and encourage people to wear them,” said Bilderback. “I do not support telling other business[es] that they need masks, without knowing my earlier questions [about enforcement].”

Reached Friday, a Mayo spokesperson did not respond directly to our inquiry regarding whether the medical center supports public mask wearing requirements; instead, the spokesperson restated Mayo’s policy requiring patients, staff and visitors to wear masks while on campus.

“Face masks combined with other preventive measures such as good hand hygiene and social distancing are important to slowing the spread of Covid-19,” the spokesperson wrote.

Despite what has become a highly partisan issue, public health experts say there is a growing amount of evidence regarding the effectiveness of face masks to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.

Cover photo licensed via Canva