Norton on GMA: City's original mask mandate 'really made a big difference'
Rochester Mayor Kim Norton was on the national stage Tuesday afternoon, updating the nation on the Med City’s response to Covid-19 and police reform efforts as part of the lunchtime version of ABC’s Good Morning America.
The mayor appeared on GMA3: What You Need to Know just after noon Tuesday, for a little over two minutes (after the interview, the mayor expressed her disappointment with the brevity of the conversation). Norton told ABC’s Amy Robach that getting residents to wear face masks had been a challenge before implementing the city mandate on July 8, about two weeks before Gov. Walz’ statewide mandate took effect.
While Norton says the city has not reached total compliance, the percentage of Rochester residents wearing a mask has shot up recently.
“People were not complying with the voluntary request we had earlier this month, so we did move to the mandate, and that really made a big difference,” said Norton. “I would say we’re at 85 or 90 percent compliance right now, and the governor having moved the mandate has helped as well.”
When Robach brought up the local outbreak of cases linked to downtown bars, Norton said the contact tracing capabilities of Olmsted County Public Health helped keep the outbreak contained to a few dozen people — as opposed to hundreds.
“The results are back in a day or two,” said Norton. “The contact tracing has been successful. Between the contact tracing and the masking, we are now seeing a drop in cases, which is positive. Of course, it takes a while for that initial outbreak to work its way through the community, and for us to make sure we get people isolated.”
As Rochester’s election officials look towards the general election on November 3, Norton told Robach hundreds of city and county employees will be called upon to serve as election judges, taking the place of many elderly longtime election judges.
The mayor also noted the changes in policy implemented by the Rochester Police Department, including the ban on chokeholds (now a statewide policy) and the implementation of a ‘duty to intervene’ policy, requiring officers to stop other officers they perceive to be violating department policy. The department is now undergoing a full review of its policy manual.
Watch Mayor Norton’s full interview here.
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
Cover graphic courtesy ABC News
