Minneapolis to require face coverings in all indoor public places starting May 26

As of Tuesday, May 26, people frequenting indoor public places in Minneapolis will be required to wear a face covering.

Mayor Jacob Frey signed Emergency Regulation 2020-12 Thursday, which will require people to wear cloth face masks or coverings when they are in an indoor place of public accommodation in Minneapolis, including grocery stores, recreation centers, hotels, retail businesses, the skyway system, and government buildings.

“With more commercial activity set to resume,” said Frey, “it’s important that we right-size our approach to public health regulations given our city’s outsized footprint in the state.

“Wearing a cloth mask is not a substitute for the measures like safe physical distancing that have already helped us extend the curve, but it will help keep Minneapolis safer,” Frey said.

In the lead up to the May 26 effective date, Frey is encouraging Minneapolis businesses and residents to help boost public awareness by participating in the City’s social media campaign #MaskUpMPLS.

Medical research has indicated that COVID-19 may have a high rate of transmission through respiratory droplets, particularly while indoors, and that wearing a mask can help reduce the risk of community spread. Research has also shown that people who are asymptomatic or yet to show signs of the virus can still transmit it without knowing they have contracted it.

Businesses will not be required to provide masks to customers or employees themselves, though employers shall be required to mandate the use of masks by their staff. The city will be launching a Memorial Day mask drive in the coming days to help get masks to those who need them before the regulation takes effect.

Non-compliance should be reported through 311.

More information about the regulation is available here on the City’s website.