Edina To Weigh Mask Mandate At Friday Afternoon Special Meeting

EDINA, MN — The Edina City Council is set to hold a special meeting Friday afternoon to discuss the “current COVID-19 situation” in the city and consider a potential citywide mask mandate.

Coronavirus cases are at “an all-time high” in Edina almost two years after the onset of the pandemic, officials said.

Public health professionals from the city’s staff and Bloomington Public Health are due to present information at Friday’s meeting and provide context about the current surge of cases in the region, due in large part to the omicron variant, City Manager Scott Neal said in a report to the council.

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After the presentations, the council is expected to consider what response the city should take, how to enforce those measures and how long they should be in place, Neal’s report says.

If the City Council does take action Friday, it should not ask the Edina Police Department to enforce the measures amid a “current uptick in crime,” Neal said, noting “enforcement was problematic for the city” in 2020.

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A draft version of a local emergency order the council will consider shows residents over 2 who are medically able to tolerate a face covering could be required to wear them in all indoor spaces of public accommodation in Edina, regardless of vaccination status.

The draft order would also require businesses to enforce mask-wearing among their employees in public spaces. Athletes, performers and support staff at indoor spaces of public accommodation would not be required to wear masks under the order.

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Minneapolis and St. Paul officials reinstate citywide mask mandates earlier this week, which the Edina City Council is set to review during its discussion Friday.

The City Council will also consider moving public meetings online to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Edina City Council’s special meeting will be broadcast on Edina TV, as well as the city’s Facebook page and website.