• the blue and white Mayo Clinic shields flag flying outside the Gonda building windows in Rochester Minnesota

    Mayo Clinic’s statement on the Declaration of Local Emergency requiring masking in indoor spaces in Rochester

Mayo Clinic Minnesota - Gonda building with flags

January 15, 2022

Media Statement from Amy Williams, M.D., Mayo Clinic executive dean for practice:

“The omicron variant and resulting surge in COVID-19 cases is challenging our health care system, schools, businesses, and community. Mayo Clinic appreciates the Declaration of Local Emergency requiring masking in indoor spaces in Rochester to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 during this surge. We have seen from prior waves of COVID-19 that masking correlates with decreased transmission. To further protect the community, Mayo Clinic urges people to get vaccinated and boosted to prevent severe illness. We are a healthier community when we help and support one another to ensure that all are safe during these challenging times, including people who are immunocompromised and children too young to be vaccinated.”


About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

Media contact:
• Glenn Lyden Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu


Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Learn more about tracking COVID-19 and COVID-19 trends.

Jan. 13, 2022 - Mayo Clinic COVID-19 trending map using red color tones for hot spots