St. Louis Park adopts mask mandate

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - The St. Louis Park City Council has adopted an emergency ordinance requiring face coverings, regardless of vaccination status, to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

The emergency ordinance was passed at its Jan. 18 meeting, and it will be in effect from Friday, Jan. 21, at 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. Feb. 22, unless repealed or extended by action of the city council. 

The ordinance requires individuals to wear face coverings in restaurants and bars when not seated at a table, as well as, entertainment venues and common spaces in multi-family residential and multi-tenant office buildings.

Businesses will be required to post signs notifying customers that face coverings are required.

Numerous Minnesota cities have passed similar requirements, including Duluth, Minnetonka, Rochester, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Similar to those cities, St. Louis Park has an exemption list for the mandate that includes anyone actively eating or drinking, children under the age of 5, specific performances, participants in youth or adult sports, public and private schools, offices where physical distance is maintained, facilities operated by the county, state, or federal government and more.