Minneapolis, St. Paul lift city-wide mask mandates

Minneapolis and St. Paul officials have lifted the mask mandates implemented in the cities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minneapolis lifted its mask mandate Tuesday.

According to the city of Minneapolis, 78.6% of its residents 15 years or older have received at least one vaccine shot, while 69% are fully immunized.

"Throughout the pandemic, we’ve taken a data-driven approach to making public health decisions, and now in the final stretch we will continue following the science," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. "After a thorough review of public health data, Minneapolis is reaching vaccination rates above the recommended threshold for safely lifting this policy – but it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over."

According to the city, masks will still be required inside schools as part of the state’s "Safe Learning Plan." They will also be required on public transit.

Meanwhile, St. Paul lifted its mask mandate Wednesday.

According to the city of St. Paul, 70.6% of Ramsey County residents over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Case rates, positivity rates and hospitalizations continue to "decline deeply" as well.

"Thanks to the heroic efforts of our health care providers, St. Paul is poised to meet the benchmarks set by local public health experts in a matter of days," St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said in a statement. "But our work is not done; we urge all residents to continue taking precautions and to get vaccinated as soon as possible."

While masks will not be required for employees and people visiting municipal buildings in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, they will be encouraged. Businesses are also able to independently decide whether to require masks.