Science Museum of Minnesota adapts as ticketed events vaccine requirement begins

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - At the Science Museum of Minnesota, Wednesday was day one of the new COVID-19 vaccination or negative test checks for everyone 5 and older.

"We added a greeter at the door to do all the checks," says museum spokesperson Karilyn Robinson. "We’ve really had any sort of reaction you can think of. We’ve had people send us messages saying ‘I won’t be renewing my membership because you are requiring this.’ We’ve also people before saying ‘I won’t be visiting because you don’t have this measure in place.’"

Loving it or hating it, some across the Twin Cities are counting down the days until this new mandate at bars, restaurants, and now ticketed events, expires.

FOX 9 reached out to the mayor’s offices in St Paul and Minneapolis asking what needs to change regarding infection rates or hospital numbers for this most recent requirement to be lifted.

Mayor Jacob Frey’s office in Minneapolis responded with this statement:

"Mayor Frey will continue taking a data-driven approach to decisions impacting the health and safety of Minneapolis. The temporary regulation is in effect until February 28 or the end of the declared local public health emergency, whichever occurs first. The mayor will continue consulting epidemiologists and public health experts and monitoring case numbers and hospitalizations."

COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Minnesota: What to know

Mayor Melvin Carter’s office in St. Paul says the mayor remains in close contact with its public health officials to decide whether or not the requirement will be renewed after 40 days.

"While we are all tired of the safety precautions that have dominated our lives these past two years, the latest wave has underscored their importance. With the CDC reporting high levels of transmission in Ramsey County, we are clearly not out of the pandemic."

Science Museum of Minnesota has made some adjustments since the vaccine or negative test requirement for ticketed events went into effect in St. Paul Wednesday. (FOX 9)

Now that the Science Museum of Minnesota is among ticketed events required to check for vaccine or negative tests, the new routine might be sticking around.

"This is actually something the museum has thought about for a long time," says Robinson. "It is possible we’ll continue the requirement beyond the 40 days… Certainly we don’t know what the city will do in 40 days. We know our decision will be based on the data and based on the science."