Judge denies temporary halt of Minneapolis vaccine-or-test mandate; lawsuit continues through court

Late Friday night, a judge denied a temporary restraining order requested by a group of restaurants and nightclubs seeking to put a brief halt to the City of Minneapolis’s vaccine-or-test mandate while their lawsuit over the mandate goes through court.

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The denial means that the mandate will remain in place as the lawsuit proceeds.

The Minneapolis City Attorney Jim Rowader provided this statement on the decision:

“The City is pleased with Judge Miller’s decision in this case. At the end of the day, the City has been and continues to be focused on helping everyone in our community — residents and businesses — safely navigate this incredibly challenging time.”

Minneapolis City Attorney Jim Rowader

READ MORE: Proof of vaccination or negative test required at Twin Cities establishments serving food, beverage

The mandate requiring people to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test from within 72 hours at places where food and drink are served went into place for Minneapolis and St. Paul on Jan. 19.

On Jan. 26, a group of seven Minneapolis restaurants and bars filed a lawsuit and temporary restraining order seeking to halt the city’s mandate.

Legal representation for the group of restaurants also issued a statement reacting to the ruling Saturday:

“Plaintiffs are obviously disappointed in the Court’s ruling.  With due respect to the Court, Plaintiffs believe that the Court should have focused more on the Minneapolis City Council declaring a continued emergency and departure from its own rules for the COVID-19 pandemic that has unfortunately been a part of our lives for nearly two years.  The City Council has now extended this self-declaration of an emergency suspending its own democratic processes indefinitely.  Moreover, the decisions of the Council and the Court come as COVID-19 rates continue to fall precipitously in the City of Minneapolis, while the harm to its restaurants and bars only continues to mount.”

Attorney Jeffrey C. O’Brien

RELATED: Minneapolis vaccine-or-test mandate goes to court, judge will decide its fate

The next date of court proceedings is currently unknown.