List: Vaccine, mask requirements in Minnesota

As the COVID-19 delta variant continues to fuel a surge of new infections in Minnesota and nationwide, mask mandates are returning and vaccine requirements are becoming more common. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that in counties where the coronavirus transmission rate is substantial or high, individuals wear face coverings indoors, whether they are vaccinated or not. The latest data from the CDC shows that includes most of Minnesota. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul now require masks to be worn inside all city-owned buildings, which includes the Target Center. School districts are requiring students and teachers to wear masks when the school year starts. 

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test is required to attend shows at venues like First Avenue and events like the upcoming Basilica Block Party. Many colleges and universities are also requiring students and staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus this fall. 

Here are all the places where a mask or COVID-19 vaccine is required in Minnesota. 

Did we miss something? Email us at fox9news@fox.com and we'll add it to our ongoing list. 

Cities, counties

Minneapolis: Masks are required inside all city-owned buildings, regardless of vaccination status. City staff members are required to mask up when inside spaces of public accommodation, such as businesses. Businesses are urged, but not required, to adopt universal indoor masking requirements for their customers.

St. Paul: Masks are required inside all city-owned buildings, regardless of vaccination status. Businesses are urged, but not required, to adopt universal indoor masking requirements for their customers.

Bloomington: Masks are required inside all city buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

Duluth: All city employees and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside city buildings.

Hennepin County: Masks are required inside county buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

Ramsey County: Masks are required inside county buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

State of Minnesota: All state employees are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or agree to be tested weekly. All state employees are required to wear masks in the workplace, both indoors and in outdoor settings where social distancing is not possible, unless they are working remotely.

Entertainment venues, museums, stadiums

Basilica Block Party: A full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (taken within 72 hours of the event) will be required to attend this year's Basilica Block Party music festival. Attendees are asked to bring a photo ID plus either proof of vaccination or a negative test result to get into the event. Face masks are not required but are strongly encouraged.

Bell Museum: Masks are required inside the museum for all visitors ages 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status, per the University of Minnesota masking guidelines.

Children’s Museum of Minnesota: Masks are required for all visitors ages 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are strongly encouraged for children ages 2-4.

Como Zoo and Conservatory: Masks are required to be worn indoors and outdoors throughout the entire Como Zoo campus, including the zoo grounds, Visitor Center, Tropical Encounters, the Conservatory, Japanese Garden and all gift shops for all visitors ages 3 and older, regardless of vaccination status.

First Avenue (and associated venues): Guests are required to show either proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from the last 72 hours to attend events at First Avenue, 7th Street Entry, Turf Club, Fine Line, the Fitzgerald Theater and the Palace Theater.

Minnesota Zoo: Masks are required when visiting indoor trails for everyone ages 3 and older, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are optional when visiting outdoor trails.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: All guests are required to show either proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken in the last 72 hours is required prior to attending an event. All guests and staff are required to wear masks inside the venue, except while eating or drinking.

Orpheum Theatre, State Theatre, Pantages Theatre: Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination are required for everyone age 12 and up. Those 11 years old and younger are not required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. All guests are required to wear masks. This policy is set to run from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31.

Science Museum of Minnesota: Masks are required for all visitors ages 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status.

Target Center: As a city-owned building, all guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask inside the Target Center, regardless of vaccination status. The City of Minneapolis mandates masks inside city-owned buildings.

School districts

The latest CDC guidance recommends all people wear masks inside school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. As a result, a number of school districts in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota--including Minneapolis and St. Paul--are requiring students, staff and visitors to wear masks indoors to start the school year. 

The following school districts are mandating masks: 

  • Anoka-Hennepin (K-6)
  • Bloomington 
  • Brooklyn Center
  • Burnsville-Eagan-Savage
  • Eastern Carver County (PreK-6)
  • Edina
  • Duluth
  • Fridley
  • Inver Grove Heights
  • Lakeville (PreK-8)
  • Mahtomedi
  • Minneapolis
  • Minnetonka
  • Mounds View
  • Osseo Area Schools
  • Prior Lake-Savage Area (PreK-8)
  • Robbinsdale
  • Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
  • Richfield
  • Shakopee (PreK-6)
  • South Washington County
  • Spring Lake Park (PreK-6)
  • Stillwater Area (PreK-8)
  • St. Anthony-New Brighton
  • St. Cloud
  • St. Louis Park
  • St. Paul
  • Wayzata (differs by time of day for different grade levels)
  • Westonka (K-7)
  • West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan
  • White Bear Lake

A full list of which school districts are requiring masks and which are only recommending them is available here

Colleges, universities

When students head back to campus this fall, many will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A number of colleges and universities in Minnesota are now mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for students and staff. 

Many schools are also requiring everyone to wear masks inside campus buildings, a policy which is in line with the latest CDC masking guidelines. 

The following colleges and universities are requiring COVID-19 vaccines, masks or both for the fall semester: 

Augsburg University: All students, faculty and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks in indoor campus spaces, except when eating in dining areas or in their own residential unit or individual office with the door closed. Students and employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 26, some documented exemptions and extensions allowed.

Carleton College: All individuals are required to wear a mask in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Masks will not be required in living spaces, for individuals in their private work space behind a closed door or while eating or drinking. Students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when they return to campus for the fall semester, which starts Sept. 6.

College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University: All students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to wear masks indoors and on transportation. All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated, with at least one vaccine dose have been received before returning to campus for the fall semester—Aug. 24 for employees and Aug. 26 for students.

College of St. Scholastica: All students, employees and visitors are required to wear masks while indoors, regardless of vaccination status. The COVID-19 vaccine is strongly recommended, but not required. The college says it will likely add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccines for students once it receives FDA approval. 

Gustavus Adolphus College: Students are required to be vaccinated for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Hamline University: All students and employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 15, with some exemptions or extensions.

Macalester College: Everyone is required to wear a mask when in indoor public spaces on campus until at least Sept. 22, after which the college will provide an update on its COVID-19 policies based on the current situation. All students and staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the fall semester.

Minnesota College of Art and Design: All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 1, with some religious or medical exemptions allowed. Masks will be required indoors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors for at least the first six weeks of the semester, regardless of vaccination status.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, Mankato, Metro State, Moorhead etc.): Students in specific groups or populations, including those who live on campus and student-athletes, will be required to submit proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing. A similar policy is in place for all state employees, including student workers.

St. Catherine’s University: All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 1, with limited exceptions. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask indoors in common or shared areas on campus.

St. Olaf College: All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated by the start of the fall semester. All students, faculty, staff and campus visitors will be required to wear masks indoors and are encouraged to wear them outdoors in crowded settings.

University of Minnesota (Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester and Twin Cities): All students, faculty and staff are required to get the COVID-19 once it receives full FDA approval. Details on the timing of when the requirement will go into place will be announced at a later date. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask indoors

University of St. Thomas: All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus for the fall semester. Everyone is required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor public spaces including classrooms, labs and meeting rooms, residence hall common areas and dining halls, common areas inside university buildings and the Anderson Student Center.

A full list of each college and university's mask policy and vaccine requirements is available here

Health systems

Allina Health: All employees, volunteers, students and contracted staff will be required to have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by Oct. 1 and a flu shot by Jan. 1, 2022, with some medical and religious exemptions.

CentraCare: All employees and clinicians are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 15. The vaccine requirement also applies to all CentraCare and Carris Health employees, including those who are working remotely as well as others working within the facilities such as contracted employees, volunteers and students.

Children’s Minnesota: All employees, professional staff, volunteers and contractors are required to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 7, with some medical and religious exemptions.

Essentia Health: Requiring all staff members to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as well as people entering their facilities to perform services.

HealthPartners: All employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza unless they have a documented religious or medical exemption. Employees have until Oct. 30 to get the COVID-19 vaccine and Nov. 30 to get a flu shot. Volunteers, vendors, students and other non-employees are also required to be vaccinated.

Hennepin Healthcare: All employees are required to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 1 and their second dose (if needed) by Nov. 1. Employees may request an exemption for medical or religious reasons.

Mayo Clinic: All employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 17, with some exemptions.

M Health Fairview: Employees and providers across the M Health Fairview system are required to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the annual flu vaccine by Oct. 31. The health care system says it is developing a process for medical and religious exemptions.

Stores, businesses

Wedge Co-op, Linden Hills Co-op: Everyone is required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status 

Hark! Cafe: Hark! Cafe, a plant-based eatery and gluten-free bakery in downtown Minneapolis, requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for all indoor diners over 12 years old. Masks are also required when dining or ordering indoors. Outdoor dining, takeout and delivery is still available for anyone who does not want to show vaccination proof or provide a negative test result. 

Did we miss something? Email us at fox9news@fox.com and we'll add it to our ongoing list. 

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