On Nov. 3, 1918, it was becoming clear to all that St. Paul’s influenza situation was not improving, and in fact had grown worse. Over 3,000 cases to date had been reported, with nearly 2,000 of them currently under isolation either at homes or in hospitals.

Addressing the increasing number of influenza cases, St. Paul officials met and voted to recommend closure of schools, churches, theaters, and other places of assembly, as well as giving the health department authority to close crowded spaces.

The opposition was hardly quiet on the matter. The State health officer called Minneapolis’s closure order a joke, and immediately declared that St. Paul’s order would have no effect on the epidemic. He preferred the use of isolation and quarantine to limit the spread of influenza, and praised St. Paul for having implemented a systematic quarantine policy