14 Minnesota counties fall under new federal mask recommendation, for now

Star Tribune Banner

Gov. Tim Walz says vaccine availability puts Minnesota in “100%” control of its destiny when it comes to fall K-12 classes, events such as State Fair. 

The guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday was in response to a COVID-19 wave fueled by the delta variant of the coronavirus that has caused widespread infections in other states and appears to be emerging in Minnesota.

Fourteen Minnesota counties had infection rates Tuesday that were high enough to trigger the federal mask recommendation, including Scott County in the Twin Cities area. The other 13 are smaller counties with rates that can fluctuate widely from week to week.

Exactly how the guidance will be implemented in Minnesota is unclear, but a joint statement by the state departments of health and education said, “We will be using the updated CDC guidance to inform our state guidance, including our school guidance coming out in the near future.” Continue reading.