NEW ULM — Big store managers and law enforcement leaders say most people are following Gov. Tim Walz’s Executive requiring people in Minnesota to wear face coverings in all indoor businesses and public indoor spaces, unless they are alone.

The order includes when waiting outside to enter an indoor public space. Masks are required on public transportation including buses and trains, taxis or vehicles used for a business purpose. The mandate is set to remain in effect until the state’s peacetime emergency ends.

“We haven’t received any reports or had any observations about it in about six weeks,” said New Ulm Police Chief Dave Borchert. “I asked our officers to be observant to it. We should be enforcing it. When we got complaints in the past, we’d investigate it by doing to the site and seeing if we observe the same thing and talk to the manager about it.”

Borchert said police have not written any tickets or fined anybody for not wearing masks.

“Our first method is to educate people,” said Borchert. “We’ll allow people to make a mistake at first. Some people just don’t understand. We know its a serious matter. We don’t want people getting infected.”

Borchert said police would write a ticket if the the mask mandate can’t be resolved through education or there are repetitive calls.

“The Department of Public Safety (DPS) says that is the best practice,” Borchert said. “Most people are really good about it. Businesses are very responsible about it.”

Hy-Vee Food Store Manager Nick Fitch said the store offers masks to customers who don’t have them.

“They’re in plain sight of everybody as soon as they walk in,” said Fitch. “Customers without masks are very rare. They have masks 99.9% of the time. We are not authorized to ask customer’s medical history. We have signage and do our best to share information to customers.

“With President Trump and the First Lady testing positive for the Coronavirus, you’d think everybody would follow guidelines,” said Fitch.

Cash Wise Foods Assistant Manager Shawn Witte said customers that come into the store without masks can get one without charge at the guest services counter.

Runnings store manager Lee Knauf said most customers wear masks in the store.

“All employees are wearing them. The only ones that don’t have medical conditions, and that’s very rare,” Knauf said.“I’ve been taking this pretty seriously since it started. We have all the mandates. Stickers all over the floor and people act respectably. We’re doing everything we can to keep everybody safe. We do all the cleaning and sanitation. Dressing rooms are cleaned every time they are used.”

Studies have shown masks limit the spread of coronavirus by blocking respiratory droplets that can travel through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or speaks. There is also evidence suggesting masks help protect others form catching the virus from the person wearing the mask.

In the United States, researchers estimate mask wearing by 95% of people, sick or not, could save 40,000 lives by Nov. 1. Research shows people that are asymptomatic (have no symptoms), can spread the coronavirus unknowingly.

Children under age 2 are not required to wear face masks. Children age 2 to 5 are not required to wear masks, but are encouraged to wear them in public.

People with health conditions, disabilities, or behavioral needs that make it difficult to safely wear a mask are exempted from the rule. There are also exemptions for those unable to remove a mask without assistance, and for anyone with breathing trouble.

The mandate does not apply to private, indoor spaces, including homes or hotel rooms.

Other situations in which you are allowed to temporarily remove your mask:

• When eating or drinking, provided you maintain 6 feet of social distancing.

• When swimming, playing organized sports, talking to a someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, or when visiting a dentist.

A number of groups filed suits in state and federal court against Gov. Tim Walz’s statewide indoor mask mandate, claiming the requirement is unconstitutional, conflicts with state laws, and puts excessive burdens on business owners. Some lawsuits seek to stop the requirement in churches and polling places.

For more information, visit http://ww.www.health.state.mn.us.html

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).