Judge upholds Minneapolis vaccine-or-test rule for eateries

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Hennepin County judge has upheld Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s vaccine-or-test mandate for bar and restaurant customers after several business owners asked for a temporary restraining order against the initiative.

The mandate that took effect this month requires customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative virus test within three days to dine at restaurants licensed by the city.

In the ruling issued late Friday, Judge Miller said the bar and restaurant owners who filed suit were speculating that the mandate was the cause of their losses, when sales could have dropped because patrons are trying to avoid the omicron variant and the cold. The complaint says that business owners support vaccines, but argued that Frey doesn’t have legal authority for such an order.