Duluth to end its mask mandate

DULUTH — Duluth's 30-day mask mandate will end this week, Mayor Emily Larson said Wednesday.

The mandate was imposed Jan. 14 to combat rising COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant and to aid short-staffed hospitals struggling to care for patients. The mandate will expire at 5 p.m. Saturday, a decision made after consulting local and state guidelines and data, health care providers and business groups, Larson said during a virtual news conference.

"As we lift this order, it's really important to remember we are not done with COVID," she said. "People really are still getting sick, and we still have people in this state and in this county who are dying. ... It's important to respect people's choices."

The city will continue to require masking in its buildings. The seven-day case average for the Duluth area as of Friday was 483 per 100,000 people, which, while still considered a high transmission rate, is lower than recent weeks. Larson said the area's case decline was a "direct result of people changing their behavior."

Duluth hospital leaders said they supported Larson's decision to end the mandate.

Dr. Jon Pryor, president of Essentia Health's eastern region, said it was "courageous" of her to enforce mask-wearing in January, and with COVID-19 transmission declining, understood her decision to lift the mandate.

"We think it helped, and probably saved lives," he said.

"When you are on the precipice, any relief in COVID numbers feels really good," Pryor said. "But we implore people to continue to wear masks and socially distance, to get vaccinated and get boosters if they can. We are not through this pandemic yet."

St. Luke's hospital CEO Dr. Nick Van Deelen said that while the area is "experiencing a steep decline in COVID-19 cases," mask-wearing remains one of the best ways to prevent its spread.

No citations for mask violations were issued in the past month, said Kate Van Daele, public information officer for the city. The city-provided e-mail address for violations was used, Larson said, and it was helpful in having conversations with noncompliant public places.

"Overall, my understanding is for the most part people understood the assignment for 30 days," Larson said. "They may not have liked it ... but they still did it."

Bob Dobrow, owner of West Duluth's Zenith Bookstore, said he will continue to enforce the store's masking policy, which has been in place throughout the pandemic.

St. Paul and Minneapolis officials on Tuesday said improving COVID trends mean mayors of both cities could soon lift their orders requiring diners to show proof of vaccination or a negative test. But neither committed to ending their mask mandates.

St. Paul's order, which requires people to wear masks in buildings licensed by the city, is set to expire next week.

"The masking requirement for licensed businesses will continue at this time, as the mayor continues to monitor promising downward trends," a spokesman for Mayor Melvin Carter said Tuesday.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday that the two cities were "working in unison on this one."

He said Minneapolis was working on getting updated numbers and direction in a day or so.