This article was written by Teri Cadeau and published in the Duluth News Tribune on July 13, 2020.
In a unanimous vote, the Duluth City Council voted to approve an emergency ordinance which requires people ages 10 and older to wear masks or other face coverings when inside publicly accessible common areas of buildings.
Councilor Joel Sipress said the vote was one that has weighed most heavily on him.
“We’re about to do something that we’d never do in normal times. But I think it’s important to recognize that we’re not in normal times,” Sipress said. “We’re facing the most serious situation in probably my lifetime. It’s not going to end anytime soon. We need to think about how we’re going to work together and prepare to persevere through this situation.”
The mask requirement applies to all public-facing businesses, such as retail operations, but would not require private buildings that are not open to the public to comply, so long as workers there are able to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from each other.
The Duluth Chamber also released new artwork for businesses to share to remind patrons of this new change to day-to-day happenings.
