Coronavirus: What MN Parents With Kids Under 12 Should Know

MINNEAPOLIS — On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated people are no longer advised to wear masks. Less than 24 hours later, Gov. Tim Walz repealed the statewide mask mandate.

Many Minnesotans greeted the developments with excitement. But some parents with children under 12 did not share in the joy, including Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, who voiced her concerns on Twitter.

Children who are 11-years-old or younger are still not eligible for the vaccine. Becker-Finn told Patch that the end of mask mandates will make it harder for parents to keep their kids under 12 safe in public.

The hopefuly news for parents is that children rarely develop serious illness from COVID-19. Adolescent deaths are even rarer.

"Covid is no more serious for children on average than the flu," writes David Leonhardt of the New York Times. "Some parents may still choose to be extremely cautious, while others will be more comfortable with normalcy. Both decisions are defensible."

In Minnesota, more than 7,290 residents have died from COVID-19. Of that number, three cases involved children.

Of the nearly 600,000 cases that have been confirmed in the state since the start of the pandemic, about 18 percent were in people 19 or younger.

• Minnesota kids 0-4 years: 13,917 cases, 1 death
• Minnesota kids 5-9 years: 19,206 cases, 2 deaths
• Minnesota kids 10-14 years: 28,199 cases, 0 deaths
• Minnesota kids 15-19 years: 48,667 cases, 0 deaths

Despite lower transmission and hospitalization rates, children two and older "should wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in their household," according to the CDC.

All Minnesotans should pay attention to local regulations and business policies. While the state mask mandate has ended, many cities and companies will continue to enforce mask and other pendemic-related restrictions.

Mask mandates will continue to be enforced in Minneapolis and St. Paul.