MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired in August 2021.
In addition to a mandate requiring face masks for city employees and in city or county-owned buildings, Mayor Jacob Frey says city employees will soon need to either be fully vaccinated or submit to regular COVID testing.
Frey signed the emergency regulation Wednesday. A statement from the mayor's office said the Minneapolis Human Resources Department will release more details about the plan and procedures when they are available.
"Vaccines save lives," Frey said in the statement. "Our local government employees have been on the frontlines of this pandemic, and Minneapolis has helped lead our state forward when it comes to data-driven public health measures."
The Minneapolis Convention Center, which also serves as a COVID-19 testing site, will be the first location to test the rollout of the mandate in mid-September. The mayor's office says that after procedures at MCC are evaluated, they will continue the rollout until it has been implemented city-wide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing masks for anyone in public, indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
The city says it will continue to provide masks to any businesses or organizations at no cost.