Minnesota businesses – help us #MaskUpMN!

With COVID-19 cases surging in other states, and with the busy Fourth of July weekend ahead of us, it’s more important than ever to take steps to protect your customers and your employees. One of the best ways to do this is to encourage customers to wear masks. The Walz-Flanagan Administration is helping businesses spread the word that by masking up, your customers are helping your business stay open.

We invite you to participate in the #MaskUpMN campaign this weekend to raise awareness that the best way we can keep our economy open is to wear masks.

It’s important to encourage your guests to be courteous to those around them and mask up – if they wouldn’t visit a business without shoes or a shirt, then they shouldn’t visit your establishment without a mask.

But masks are more than just a courtesy – they are the most effective tool we have against the spread of COVID-19. CDC recommends that you wear a cloth mask over your nose and mouth in restaurants, bars and all other public places where it is hard to stay 6 feet away from others. The Minnesota Department of Health offers up-to-date guidance on when and how to wear a mask here.

As Minnesota makes progress towards fully reopening the economy, we’ve continued to release updated guidance on best safe practices for businesses. From protocol for managing occupancy to general food safety, you can find stay safe guidance for businesses and organizations here.

Our small businesses are an integral part of the social fabric of Minnesota, and it has been heartbreaking to see this pandemic’s impact. Ask that your customers and employees mask up so that our businesses and organizations can keep their doors open. Let’s celebrate the best parts of summer in Minnesota safely and responsibility – it’s on all of us to keep each other safe and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Please share the following social media messaging on your channels and encourage your networks to celebrate safely this holiday weekend. We’ve also provided some graphics to accompany these posts, which you can find here.

• Minnesota! Wear a mask, it’s the right thing to do. #MaskUpMN
• Wearing a mask is easy. Closing down our businesses again isn’t. Wear a mask so that your favorite small businesses stay safe and stay open. #MaskUpMN
• COVID-19 cases are surging in other states, but in Minnesota, we can do things differently. Wearing a mask is one of the easiest ways to make sure that our small businesses stay safe and keep their doors open. #MaskUpMN
• Happy Fourth of July, Minnesota! This weekend, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep your friends, family and neighbors safe. #MaskUpMN