Local Minnesota Communities Prep for Statewide Mask Order

CARLTON, Minn.– Minnesota’s statewide mask mandate begins tomorrow. While cities like Duluth have some requirements already, this will be the first time masks will be required across the state.

Minnesotans will now need to mask up at businesses or any indoor public spaces. This is the first time many small towns across the state will need to follow these restrictions and reaction so far has been mixed.

“We still want to have this festival. We still want to have fun. We still want to do it right though,” said Aaron Hanson, Co-Owner of Third Base Bar in Carlton.

The first day of Walz’s mask order will also take place during Carlton Days.

While there won’t be a parade or some of the other usual festivities this year, Third Base Bar will still be having live music and volleyball tournaments.

Hanson says the mask mandate was a matter of time. He’s been following up on the new guidelines with the Carlton County Health Department. Staff at the bar will meet together to make sure everyone is following the new guidelines.

The event usually brings in over 700 people but this year they are only able to host 250. And staff will be monitoring the bar’s capacity.

Hanson is worried some customers won’t want to come because of the requirement. But he is glad to still have Carlton Days after months of uncertainty about the event.

“I think it can be a really good thing. If it’s going to help, I don’t mind it at all,” said Hanson. “It’s going to be a lot of extra work for us in the service industry. It’s just something we have to do.”

Amy Angell owns the hawk shop, a pawn shop in Barnum. She’s also worried about customers not wanting to come into her store. But she is particularly worried about exemptions for those with medical conditions.

“If somebody walks in and doesn’t have a mask and they say ‘I’m exempt,’ what right do I have to question them? I’m certainly going to let them come into my business. I’m not going to tell them they can’t. So what do you do?”

The new mandate will be a change for these local communities as the state tries to increase efforts to slow the spread of covid-19.

“It is a small town and i hear that daily. ‘Why didn’t they just go county by county? Small little town of 963 people,’ it makes sense and it doesn’t,” said Hanson. “I guess it needs to be done but if it works, we’ll get back to normal.”