Rochester mayor reinstates mask requirement

Rochester Mayor Kim Norton issued a state of emergency on Tuesday that requires masks be worn in all indoor public settings where medically vulnerable individuals or children under 12 are expected to be present.

The order takes effect immediately and lasts three days, unless the Rochester City Council votes to extend it.

The mayor cited the increasing spread of the Covid-19 delta variant as her reasoning for the mandate. The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put Olmsted County’s seven-day case rate at 224. As of Saturday, there were 25 new hospital admissions from Covid-19 in the county, a 4 percent increase from the previous seven-day period.

Norton told the council on Monday that experts from Mayo Clinic have also informed her to expect a continued increase over the next four weeks.

At Monday’s meeting, council members raised questions about the scope of the mandate, given that children or medically vulnerable individuals could be present almost anywhere. The discussion left it unclear whether there will be support for continuing the mayor’s order post-Friday.

The order from the mayor came hours before the Rochester School Board was scheduled to meet to discuss a universal face covering policy. The mayor’s state of emergency order does include schools and other government buildings in its definition of “public settings.”

Like with previous mask requirements, violation of the mask order is not a criminal offense. However, the order does allow business owners to enforce trespassing laws on individuals who refuse to comply with the order.

Cover photo: Mayor Norton at Monday’s council meeting / screenshot