Walz is about to issue a statewide mask order.

[progree]

2. A couple articles on it - I've attempted to list the requirements and exemptions

Last edited Wed Jul 22, 2020, 06:26 PM - Edit history (1)

I gathered from these 2 articles.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/07/22/latest-on-covid19-in-mn

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/07/22/minnesotas-mask-mandate-what-you-need-to-know

From these 2 articles, I came up with this list --

People in Minnesota are required to wear a face coverings --

# in all public indoor spaces and businesses, unless they are alone. This includes when waiting outside to enter an indoor public space.

# on public transportation, including buses and trains, and in taxis or vehicles that are used for a business purpose.

# when at a business, either indoors or outdoors, that requires face coverings. (presumably if its indoors, the first one above covers that, i.e. its mandatory unless you are alone, regardless of if the business requires it or not. So this item is just adding the outdoor requirement if the business requires it. My interpretation).

# workers are required to wear a face covering when working outdoors in situations in which social distancing cannot be maintained.

Exemptions to the order include:

# People with health conditions that make it difficult to tolerate wearing a face covering

#Any person who has trouble breathing or unable to remove the face covering without help

# People who at work with jobs where wearing a face covering would create a safety hazard as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines

# "Bar and restaurant patrons don’t have to keep masks on as they eat and drink at a table with their party."

From the first article, on Enforcement

Grove emphasized that officials don’t want businesses to be in a position of being “mask police.”

If a patron says she can’t wear a mask for medical reasons, store owners can allow it without delving into deeper explanations, he said. Bar and restaurant patrons don’t have to keep masks on as they eat and drink at a table with their party.

The order does allow for a petty misdemeanor with possible fine up to $100. Businesses could face steeper fines for noncompliance.

Walz, though, said he wants authorities “handing out masks, not tickets” and that businesses should not escalate confrontations, adding: "We don't want someone to accidentally get famous on the internet because they're throwing a tantrum in Trader Joe's."

I haven't studied this yet:

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/facecover.html

Uggh, I did. I just picked out a couple of things below from it for here...

A face covering must cover the nose and mouth completely.

Exceptions include -

While eating or drinking, if you can maintain 6 feet of physical distance from others who are not a member of the same party.

When participating in indoor physical exercise—such as in a gym or fitness center—where the level of exertion makes wearing a face covering difficult, as long as social distancing can be maintained at all times.

What's at the above link is quite a bit more extensive than what I've posted so far, but hopefully I got the main points of interest for most people.