Rochester mask mandate to expire Monday, Mayor Norton says there are no plans to extend it

(ABC 6 NEWS) – The Rochester mask mandate is set to expire Monday night at 11:59 p.m.

Rochester Mayor Kim Norton says as of now, she hasn’t heard any discussion from the city council around extending the mandate, and she herself doesn’t plan to.

"I absolutely think putting the masking requirement in place was the right call. Wearing a mask is a minor thing to ask people to do to help so it really wasn’t too much of an inconvenience I don’t think," Mayor Norton said.

But, she does suggest Rochester residents continue to mask up for the next few weeks, citing Olmsted County’s high COVID positivity rate.

The Minnesota Department of Health reports our 14 day average for test positivity is 28 percent.

High positivity rate suggests the virus is still spreading quickly throughout our community.