Rochester mayor: no citywide mask mandate, for now

As Minnesota’s largest city begins to enforce a new policy requiring residents to wear masks in most public indoor spaces, the mayor of the state’s third-largest city — Rochester’s Kim Norton — says a similar policy for Rochester is not in the immediate pipeline.

The use of face masks and other cloth face coverings in public places, while recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for over a month, has taken on some political connotation in recent weeks. While the mayor said she believes people should wear masks in public, any action taken by her office would be in response to a future spike in Covid-19 cases.

“As the community begins to re-open, if people become too lax about wearing masks in public and if we see a spike or significant increase of Covid-19 positive cases in the community, I would most certainly move ahead with a requirement for mask use in public, indoor spaces at a minimum,” said Norton. “What we want to avoid is the need to shut down completely again.”

Norton’s comments come as more American cities start to enforce mandatory mask-wearing policies, with the latest city to enact such an order just a 90-minute drive away. After Mayor Jacob Frey issued a declaration last week, the city of Minneapolis will begin to implement its mandatory face mask order on Tuesday. (Hennepin County reported 7,412 positive cases of Covid-19 as of publication.)

In response to questions last week about whether Rochester would follow suit, Norton suggested she would consider pursuing a mask policy only if a potential spike in cases was especially worrisome; reached by email, however, the mayor said there is no specific threshold that the county’s case count would have to reach to warrant additional action from the city. 

“I don’t have a hard and fast number in my head about the number of cases that would trigger action, but it is important that Rochester remain a safe and healthy community for the entire community and our healthcare visitors alike,” said Norton.

A large portion of Rochester’s workforce is already mandated to wear a face covering, at least in a work setting: Mayo Clinic, Rochester’s largest employer, has required all employees, patients and visitors to mask up for over a month. The Clinic says when combined with other preventative actions (washing hands, social distancing, etc.), masks and other face coverings can prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other respiratory diseases. The CDC also recommends people cover their faces in public spaces.

Mayor Norton said she wishes for Rochester’s residents to follow those guidelines on their own, without any need for the city to step in.

“It is my hope that the community continues to understand the virulence of this virus and, therefore, the necessity to wear masks in public,” said Norton. “I am hopeful that this medically savvy community will voluntarily wear masks to protect those we care about and care for.” 

Based on a recent poll of Minnesotans, a majority of the state is already voluntarily wearing a mask in some capacity. The poll finds 74 percent of all respondents reported wearing a mask in public settings at least once in the past week, while simultaneously uncovering serious partisan divides on the issue. 92 percent of Democratic respondents said they wear a mask in public, compared to 53 percent of Republican respondents.

While the issue of mask-wearing has become heavily politicized (like many other facets of America’s response to Covid-19), Mayor Norton said she hopes enough people in Rochester follow state and federal guidelines to slow the spread, including wearing a mask. 

Meanwhile, she and other officials in Rochester’s city government will watch the Covid-19 case counts fluctuate in the coming days to determine if a mandatory mask policy is needed.

“It is unfortunate that the mask issue has become so politicized, but the health and safety of residents and guests in our community is my primary concern,” said Norton. “I’ll do my best to assure their continued well-being. It is my hope to have the support of the City Council, administration, medical community and residents if we get to the point that this action is necessary.”

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 photo: file / licensed via Canva