Minnetonka To Hold Meeting On Possible Mask Mandate
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Another city in the metro is considering a mask mandate amid the current spike in COVID-19 cases.
Officials in Minnetonka, a suburb just west of Minneapolis, said they are holding a virtual meeting Friday to discuss a possible citywide mask mandate. The meeting would be part of the city council's weekly meeting.
This comes a week after Minneapolis and St. Paul reinstated mask mandates. They are currently the only cities in Minnesota with mask mandates in place. The state-wide mask mandate was lifted seven months ago.
The new mandates in the Twin Cities are a response to the surge in COVID-19 cases due to the highly-contagious Omicron variant. On Tuesday, health officials reported a record-high positivity rate, and virtually every industry is grappling with staffing shortages due to infected or exposed workers.
The situation in hospitals is so severe that health care workers in central Minnesota are calling for lawmakers to reinstate mask mandates there, as masking could curb the spread of Omicron faster than vaccines.
The meeting in Minnetonka will be held at 3:30 p.m. To sign up to participate, click here.
