Mayor Larson to End Duluth’s Mask Mandate on Saturday

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson announced at a Wednesday press conference that she will allow the local state of emergency declaration and face-covering requirement to end on Saturday.

“This declaration expires at 5:00 pm on February 12, and I am not extending it,” Mayor Larson said. “I have based this decision on conversations with health care providers and business groups and by tracking data from Saint Louis County, the State of Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic. Allowing the expiration of the Order means that starting on February 12 at 5:00 pm, businesses and organizations will be back to determining their own course of action as it relates to masking.”

The 30-day mask mandate was put into place on January 14 at 5:00 p.m.

“On January 14, I implemented a 30-day mask mandate for all places of public accommodation in the City of Duluth,” Mayor Larson said. “While not convenient or ideal, the mask requirement was intended to help curb the recent surge of COVID-19 infections; to allow our hospitals and staff to fully meet the increased need for care which correlates with the omicron strain, and to support our businesses and schools so they could remain open.”

Businesses and other organizations may still choose to implement their own mask policies.

Masks will continue to be required inside all City buildings for anyone ages two and older.

The Mayor went on to say, “There are still new strains and personal choices as it relates to vaccination. This leaves us all vulnerable and open to future infection and pandemic realities. And to me, that’s another reason to allow this to expire – it’s my personal feeling that we are now moving into not how we beat COVID-19, but how we co-exist with it.”

The Duluth City Council can enact their own determination by an ordinance if they choose to take that on.

The next City Council meeting will take place on Monday, February 14, at 7:00 pm.