Masks are no longer required in city facilities in Alexandria.
City leaders made the decision after mask mandates were lifted on Friday, May 14 by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
City officials are also following new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the Minnesota Department of Health by recommending that those who are not fully vaccinated to wear a mask while indoors.
City officials ask people to have a face covering readily available as businesses and institutions have the ability to require face coverings as they wish.
“I am counting on our citizens to be people of integrity who are committed to beat this pandemic," said Alexandria Mayor Bobbie Osterberg in a news release issued Monday, May 17. "I ask that if you are not vaccinated, please engage with the CDC recommendation to voluntarily wear a mask when appropriate.”
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been influencing decisions for 15 months, noted Sara Stadtherr, communications coordinator for Alexandria. "We appreciate the community’s support and flexibility as we navigate forward," she said.
Walz's executive order rescinding the mandate went into effect Friday afternoon, one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated citizens can go without masks in most settings
Minnesota health officials still recommend that unvaccinated Minnesotans wear masks indoors, however, and state-instituted social distancing requirements and capacity limits are still in effect until Friday, May 28.
MORE: Minnesota's mask mandate is officially over but officials say the pandemic isn't
The order signed Friday doesn't affect Minnesota schools, which will follow the state's "Safe Learning Plan" until the end of the academic year. And consistent with the CDC's latest guidance, the order also says to comply with local-level pandemic precautions as well as those implemented by private businesses and workplaces.
Employers in Minnesota may not require their employees to work without masks or in unsafe conditions under Gov. Tim Walz 's latest order. Employers can still be reported for harassing workers who continue to wear personal protective equipment. The state eviction moratorium also remains in effect.
The Minnesota Executive Council on Friday also extended the state's peacetime emergency declaration for another 30 days, meaning Walz will hold on to additional emergency powers.
Vaccinated or not, people should still wear masks in crowded indoor settings such as airplanes, buses and hospitals, according to the CDC.
