Washington, Dakota counties to end mask requirement at most county buildings

Washington and Dakota counties will stop requiring people to wear masks in most county buildings in response to the declining number of COVID-19 cases.

The requirement ends in Washington County on Monday. In Dakota County, it ends March 1.

"I'm supportive of taking off masks as soon as possible," said Mike Slavik, a Dakota County commissioner. "I do think it's time that we give people the option."

There will still be some exceptions — such as jails and courtrooms — as the requirements loosen, officials said.

Washington County Administrator Kevin Corbid decided that masks would be recommended but not required beginning Monday, said Yvonne Klinnert, county spokeswoman.

Corbid said he made the decision to rescind the mask policy because of fewer people reporting COVID-19 infections in the county. County public health officials told him the seven-day average of infections per 100,000 people has been steadily dropping and is likely to fall below 100 people per 100,000 by next week, he said.

That's the cutoff recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for masking.

Dropping the mask requirement "seemed to mirror what was happening with other organizations within our county," said Corbid, adding that the county will continue to provide masks for employees who want them.

Dakota County Manager Matt Smith decided to lift the masking requirement for staff, and the county board voted Tuesday to lift the requirement for the public at most county facilities.

Smith said he was not surprised by the counties' decisions.

He said that such decisions are being made across the state and there are other tools, including vaccines, to prevent COVID-19.

Dakota County vaccination clinics, the Juvenile Services Center and the Law Enforcement Center, however, may still require masks.

Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said the decision at Dakota County court facilities would have to be made by the chief judge, who established the existing mask requirement.

Dakota County Commissioner Mary Hamann-Roland voted in favor of ending the requirement but said she wants county staff who still want or need to wear masks to feel comfortable doing so without being ostracized.

Other suburban counties have different requirements.

Anoka County doesn't require masks in its building except in group settings in the corrections department, spokesman Erik Thorson said.

Scott County requires masks for all staff outside their respective offices and for the public at the jail, the courthouse, and public health and mental health centers, said Lezlie Vermillion, county administrator.

The county requests the public wear masks in county buildings, Vermillion said, and will provide them as needed. She said most people comply with the request.

Scott County is still a high-transmission county but when those rates go down, the mandate to wear masks will go away, she said.

Staff writer Matt McKinney contributed to this report.