Photo: KBJR-TV

By Molly Wasche of KBJR-TV - August 2, 2021

St. Louis County public health leaders are recommending masks to be worn again indoors at public places, regardless of vaccination status.

In a release Monday, St. Louis County has been identified as a county with “substantial transmission of COVID-19,” meaning 50 or more cases in a week per 100,000 residents.

The case rate in St. Louis County has risen to 54.4 cases per 100,000 residents.

“We are as frustrated as anyone, but more than that, we are concerned by this growth in cases,” said Amy Westbrook, St. Louis County Public Health Division Director. “We all want to put this pandemic behind us, but the highly contagious Delta variant is demonstrating why it is so important for people to get vaccinated. There are pockets in St. Louis County that have low vaccination rates that remain concerning.”

Only unvaccinated people were recommended to wear masks indoors in public places. That has now changed per the new CDC guidance with the Delta variant becoming highly transmittable.

Click here to check out your county’s COVID transmission rates according to the CDC.

Announced last week, all Minnesotans who receive their first dose of a COVID vaccine now through August 15 are eligible to receive a $100 Visa gift card from the state.

For vaccine information, click here.

Meanwhile, Washburn County is also considered to have “substantial” levels of community transmission and all are advised to wear masks in public places.

Click here for Washburn County’s vaccine information.

To see the original post and read related stories, follow this link to the KBJR-TV website.  https://kbjr6.com/2021/08/02/st-louis-county-recommends-masks-for-all-indoor-public-places/