Fear, frustration, resolve resurface in Minneapolis, St. Paul as COVID again disrupts city life

More than a third of the stalls at Minneapolis' Karmel Mall were closed Thursday afternoon, eerily quiet for the Somali community hub. A popular Uptown nightlife destination announced it's closing until March or later. Customers are spending big money at Haskell's liquor store in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood, prepared to drink at home instead of going out.

As the annual post-holiday blues sank in last week, Minneapolis and St. Paul residents faced bitter cold and revived mask mandates to combat soaring COVID-19 infections. As many hunkered in their homes, a more subdued Twin Cities slogged through the first week of January with a stark shift in mood from the lively spirit with which locals embraced urban life after the vaccine rollout last spring and summer.

"It almost feels a bit like Groundhog Day," said Adam Levy, a Twin Cities musician, who spent most of last winter at home writing songs. After performing gigs most of December, Levy's rock trio, Turn Turn Turn, canceled two recent shows at St. Paul's White Squirrel Bar and the Turf Club.

"It's been a real headache because I really depend on music for income," said Levy, who plans to seek a temporary job teaching history. "But it just got to a point where it seemed to me irresponsible to do the shows."

Ever-present reminders of the pandemic and public health guidance have returned. In the few days since the mask orders imposed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, businesses have plastered signs in windows requesting compliance. The mandate means many apartment dwellers can no longer offer a friendly smile to a neighbor in the hallway. Meager traffic trickles through Minneapolis' downtown skyways, but you can find more than 100 people lined up for COVID tests at the Convention Center.

Courtney Clingan and her husband, Sam, joined the busy queue Thursday. They had attended a holiday wedding and then learned their son Walter, who's celebrating his second birthday soon, was exposed to the virus at his Minneapolis day-care center.

"Everybody right now knows many people who have [COVID], which feels very different than when it first happened," she said. "It was so scary, but it was like, 'Oh, a friend of a friend tested positive.' And now I'm like, 'Oh, man, I could rattle off half a dozen people in my immediate people.' "

The extraordinary spread of the omicron variant has caused staffing problems across industries, with more and more workers taking days off to quarantine after testing positive for the virus.

Community health clinics in the metro, which previously helped turn around some of Minneapolis' viral hot spots, are now fighting familiar battles while their own staff is stretched thin. As of Thursday, about a quarter of the People's Center clinic in Cedar-Riverside — which has a no-appointment drive-through testing site — was out, CEO Ann Rogers said.

The clinic is seeing significant community spread among its population, with a test positivity rate above 60%, the highest of the pandemic, Rogers said. Of those, about two-thirds or more were African American or Somali American individuals, which "feels a little like a little deja vu," she added.

Sam Turner, who owns the Nicollet Diner in downtown Minneapolis, said he was forced to switch his operation to delivery and pickup only after several staff members tested positive for COVID-19. With his dining room closed, sales were down 50% in the last seven days, he said.

"It's painful," Turner said. It's worse than in 2020, because "last time everybody was closed — so it kind of leveled the playing field."

The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns that the mask mandate could be an added hardship for businesses, putting the burden of enforcement on front-line workers and creating a competitive disadvantage for those in the Twin Cities while suburban communities do not require face coverings.

Uptown Tavern & Rooftop, a hot spot for Minneapolis nightlife, announced that it is closing its doors until March or April in light of the mask mandate. The establishment was one of several that had patron outbreaks last year that prompted the city to pass restrictions to curb the spread of infection.

"For those of you who have been with us throughout the pandemic I'm sure you can remember how hard it was to operate an alcohol establishment with a mask mandate," . Uptown Tavern & Rooftop shared in a Facebook group. "As you know throughout these unprecedented times the health and safety of our staff and customers is of utmost importance. We hope to come back stronger than ever."

Some have criticized the mandates — which encourage but do not require medical-grade face coverings — for promoting the perception of safety without results. Citing experts who have characterized the omicron variant as a milder form of the disease and abundant access to vaccines, St. Paul resident John Mueller questioned whether the requirement is necessary.

"I'm just more optimistic about the new omicron variant in general," said Mueller after leaving the long Minneapolis Convention Center testing line Thursday to make sure he wasn't infected before returning to work after the holidays.

Not everyone was feeling so positive. Two hours after getting tested, Amal Mohamed sat on an upholstered bench at the Minneapolis Convention Center and frantically searched through her phone, hoping that her results would show up in her e-mail.

Mohamed, a Minneapolis resident and a personal banker, had attended a work gathering on New Year's Eve with more than a dozen of her co-workers. At least two of those co-workers had since tested positive for the virus, and a day later Mohamed came down with symptoms that included loss of taste and smell.

Mohamed lost her maternal grandfather to COVID on Nov. 30, then her uncle two weeks later. The men followed all the COVID protocols, she said, but it feels like many aren't taking the virus seriously. "I'm very scared of this disease," she said.

Many have welcomed the mask mandates as a way to prevent more drastic restrictions.

"It's been so nice having things back open again," said Tim Mulrooney, who lives in northeast Minneapolis. "If wearing masks helps things stay that way, I think it's absolutely worth it."

"I think it was irresponsible that the mask mandate was lifted in the first place," Bee Pallesen said as she managed a craft popcorn stand at St. Paul's Keg and Case Market.

In Minneapolis, Frey announced a new order Friday that waives fees and expedites permitting so private businesses can install temporary outdoor structures to promote social distancing. The order doesn't allow the use of streets and sidewalks, unlike the 2020 regulation, which expired in November.

The chilly gatherings could be a bright spot for Twin Cities residents, many of whom say they're exhausted by the pandemic, its rippling effects and the endless conversations about all things COVID.

After dealing with staffing shortages, rising supply costs and a thinner-than-normal downtown customer base, "I feel a little defeated," said Jeff Kaster, owner of the Bulldog in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

"But," he added, "we will do whatever it takes to get through to the next step."

Staff writer Nicole Norfleet contributed to this report.