North Dakota will not mandate face masks

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -

Despite recommendations from health officials, Governor Doug Burgum announced in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that masks will not be mandated in North Dakota at this time.

The decision coming just hours after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order to require Minnesotans to wear face coverings in indoor public settings.

Gov. Burgum says that enforcing a mask mandate would be “nearly impossible.” Still, he’s encouraging North Dakotans to wear them to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The Governor is also asking individual businesses to make their own decisions and to protect customers and employees.

North Dakota is now just one of 19 states that does not require people to wear masks when out in public.

The North Dakota Department of Health reported 160 new cases of COVID-19 in the state Wednesday.

That’s the highest new case count confirmed by the state since the Department of Health began tracking the pandemic in the state.

Two more deaths have also been linked to the illness, a man in his 70s from Burleigh County, and a woman in her 90s from Cass County.

Both had underlying health conditions.

Gov. Burgum attributed the large jump in cases to the fact that the state may have under-reported cases on Tuesday.

Because of that error, he says that the daily positivity report is actually at 3.0%, rather than 3.8%.

During the conference, Burgum says social and physical distancing is highly recommended, but when that is not possible masks should be worn.

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