I believe in vaccines. Masks work. Distancing works. Mandating vaccinations for just restaurants is ridiculous! ("Vaccine proof now the rule," front page, Jan. 13.)

Where is the data showing high rates of transmission at restaurants? Why not use all aspects of daily life — grocery stores, retailers, schools, public transportation? Why are we picking on the one industry that has been hit the hardest throughout this whole pandemic? The overall restaurant industry has been decimated, and yet we have done everything asked of us: takeout only, capacity limitations, masks, shields, extra sanitation efforts and so on. It still that wasn't enough to not get singled out once again.

There is no question this is going to cost more jobs, more bankruptcies and more families wondering where the next paycheck is going to come from.

It's just a matter of time until some overworked wait person glances at someone's vaccination card and accidentally serves someone they shouldn't. How long until that's on social media, singling out the restaurant? Customers stop coming. Fines start rolling in. It's just easier to close at some point.

Restaurants can't staff their locations as it is, much less take the time to check vaccination status. Let's be realistic: If after all restaurant/hospitality workers have been through during the pandemic, do you think any of us are equipped mentally to go through the process of checking (and challenging) vaccine cards or negative test receipts? When we had to enforce masks I was swore at, spit at, yelled at and overall belittled to the point of either wanting to lash out or quit — but I stayed. The thought of having to check and scrutinize someone's COVID documents makes my stomach turn. Once again the low-wage, heavily minority-employed restaurant industry shoulders the brunt of the responsibility and blame.

Right idea — wrong implementation.

Mike Renner, Shakopee

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The implementation of vaccine or negative test proof in Minneapolis and St. Paul sends a clear signal to the cities' businesses: We'll use you as pawns in our politically motivated vaccination push, no matter the impact it has on many of you who are already struggling to stay open and enforce compliance with the (also mistaken) recently reintroduced mask mandates. The vaccines offer little to no protection against transmission of the now predominant omicron variant, so the vaccine requirement is not about protecting patrons. It's about offering the illusion of protection and a concrete claim that "we did something" because doing nothing, even if it may be appropriate at this stage of the pandemic, flies in the face of their political ethos and the dogma that vaccines are a panacea.

The science supports current COVID-19 vaccines for their prevention of serious disease and hospitalization/death, not for prevention of transmission. I'm fully in favor of vaccination despite the vaccines' limitations regarding the current variant, but to place yet another compliance burden on businesses when vaccination does not make the dining experience any safer, given the current evidence? It's about aligning Minneapolis and St. Paul with the policies of other Democrat-led cities, not about doing what's right for the communities. Mayors Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter are followers in this, not leaders.

John Grimes, Minneapolis

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Jerry Nelson, Mound

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On Dec. 6, 2021, I read with interest that a fully vaccinated 30-year-old product analyst for a health care provider was the first identified omicron variant case in Minnesota, one of the first cases in the U.S. He got his booster shot the week after my wife and I had our boosters, and his positive COVID test occurred about 30 days after the booster shot. Both my wife and I just had positive COVID PCR tests exactly 70 days after our booster shots. We were nearly asymptomatic and have also been very prudent with other COVID precautions.

The Star Tribune reported Allina's COVID hospital bed figures on Jan. 12 revealing 38.9% of their patients were fully vaccinated, presumably infected with the omicron variant. On Sept. 17, when the delta variant was prevalent, the Star Tribune reported Allina's COVID bed figures with 25% of their patients being fully vaccinated. Using these two data points, it would appear the COVID hospitalization rate for fully vaccinated persons is increasing.

The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul have just mandated proof of vaccination or a negative test to patronize bars and restaurants. On the surface this seems to be a noble effort; however, with no meaningful data as to the potential for an asymptomatic and fully vaccinated person to have viral shedding sufficient to transmit COVID to another person, how does only proving vaccination status accomplish anything more than making people feel good, while further stressing the already impacted business owners?

The Minnesota Republican Party in 2022 has several gubernatorial candidates who're knowledgeable and eager to improve Minnesota's public health. COVID-19 continues to be a powerful teacher when we pay attention.

The GOP candidates include former Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, GOP Sen. Michelle Benson, Scott Jensen, Lexington Mayor Mike Murphy, Neil Shah and Kendall Qualls.

The art of democratic government (and its survival) requires choosing leaders who demonstrate wisdom, good judgment and a keen awareness of public good and public opinion. Some people are better suited than others to be our governor or president, and to earn and deserve public trust. That's what elections and party primaries ought to be about. Effective leaders have the job of balancing competing values — such as balancing the risks to students, teachers or family members of contracting a severe case of COVID with the inescapable consequences of shutting down in-person learning in our schools.

Medical researchers, epidemiologists and physicians are expected to acquire and maintain knowledge of diseases such as COVID-19 and its emerging variants. Yet, ad nauseam, we've heard the cry from prominent politicians, bureaucrats and the media to "follow the science." Yet, in fact, when politicians are balancing their decisions, "science" itself does not tell them what to do or not to do.

Dr. Lee Beecher, Maple Grove

The article states that Weidner Apartment Homes, which is developing an adjacent apartment building, bought this building "with initial plans for possible restoration." If that intent were sincere, how has the building sat empty for years and allowed to deteriorate to the point of its owners wanting to demolish it? If the current owners truly had an interest in preserving historical buildings, action should have been taken, or another owner found who could preserve the building. It seems to me that the three appeals court judges should have considered the owner's guilt of neglect and abandonment of this regal building listed on the Nation Register of Historic Places and recognized for both its architectural style and historical significance.

The Elliot Park neighborhood deserves preservation of its notable historic structures and heritage. This is an undignified end to a majestic old building.

Hasn't Minneapolis thrown away too may beautiful buildings already? Must we forfeit yet another piece of our soul?

Steven Buck, Eagan