The Fargo City Commission voted to extend the citywide mask mandate through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 22, 2021 at a special commission meeting on Wednesday, February 17. The following rationale was provided prior to the decision to extend the mandate:
1. A letter of recommendation was provided to the City Commission to extend the mandate by the Fargo Cass Public Health Board of Health
2. The majority of school teachers are not currently vaccinated, while school remains in session
3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified new, highly contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus. Two cases of a new variant in have been confirmed in North Dakota.
4. Fargo’s business community has expressed support for extension of a mask mandate. A Fargo Cass Public Health Survey of more than 100 community businesses shows 75% of responding businesses support the extension of a mask mandate for at least one month. A separate survey conducted by the Downtown Community Partnership of businesses in Downtown Fargo shows nearly 60% of businesses prefer a one month extension of the Mask Mandate.
5. Vaccination rates in Cass County remain low. As of February 17, fewer than 13 percent of Cass County residents had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and fewer than 8 percent of residents had received both doses necessary for effective immunization.