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Minnesota Department of Health

September 16, 2020

Minnesota News and Outreach

School Attendance and Exclusion Guidance

With school officially underway across the state of Minnesota, medical professionals are urging parents to be informed and aware of the guidelines for when their children can attend or need to stay home from school or child care. The COVID-19 attendance and exclusion guidance for school, child care, and youth programming lays out a number of scenarios and appropriate steps for children, students, or staff.

Visit Schools and Child Care: Safety and well-being to access school and parent-friendly resources developed by MDH to help navigate when children should stay home:

• COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Schools, Youth, and Child Care Programs
• COVID-19 Attendance Guide for Parents and Families
• Home Screening Tool for COVID-19 Symptoms 

Read the news release: Medical professionals: staying home when sick or exposed is key to keeping schools open.

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Materials

We are adding new videos, print materials, and translated documents often. Check out the pages below to view, download, or print these resources.

Materials and Resources for COVID-19 Response Videos for COVID-19 Response

The situation is changing rapidly. Visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the most up-to-date information and follow MDH on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram to stay informed.

What's New

Statewide COVID-19 survey of Minnesota households

MDH is conducting a voluntary statewide survey between Sept. 14 and Sept. 30 as part of an ongoing effort to better understand the prevalence of COVID-19 in Minnesota. We encourage people to participate in the survey if their household is selected. Along with being able to receive free, in-home testing for current and past COVID-19 infection, this is a unique opportunity for people to help us learn more about the impacts of COVID-19 and aid in our efforts to fight this pandemic.

For more information and frequently asked questions, visit CASPER: COVID-19 Public Health Survey. Read the news release: Health officials begin statewide COVID-19 survey of Minnesota households.

Protect yourself from flu this season!

While there is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, a flu vaccine remains the best way to protect you and your family from flu viruses that likely will be circulating at the same time this fall & winter. It’s more important than ever to get a flu vaccine, especially for people at higher risk of serious illness from flu and COVID-19. Flu vaccination can also help not overwhelm the health care system. Visit Influenza (Flu) for more information.

Guidance and resources

NEW:

• COVID-19 CASPER Survey: Frequently Asked Questions
• COVID-19 Attendance Guide for Parents and Families (PDF)
• Home Screening Tool for COVID-19 Symptoms (PDF)
• Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities: COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
• Health Care Worker Exposure to COVID-19

UPDATED:

• COVID-19 Community Testing
• American Sign Language (ASL) Videos for COVID-19 Response
• COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Schools, Youth, and Child Care Programs (PDF)
• Recommendations for Different Levels of COVID-19 Transmission Among Higher Education Institutions (PDF)
• Campus Dining Services Guidance for Higher Education Institutions (PDF)

• Smoking, Vaping, Lung Health, and COVID-19

• Industry Guidance for Gyms and Fitness Centers (PDF)
• COVID-19 Interim Testing Recommendations: Congregate Settings for People Experiencing Homelessness and Individuals and Families Residing in Emergency Shelters (PDF)
• COVID-19 Testing in Residential Programs Licensed by the Department of Human Services: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• Potential Exposure to COVID-19 in Outpatient Settings excluding Emergency Departments (ED) (PDF)

NOTE: As new Executive Orders and recommendations are issued, we will review and update the guidance and resources on our website accordingly. Look for an "Updated" date below guidance links to know when the resource was last revised.

Minnesota Helpline

For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic

651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504

Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Minnesota Department of Health  |  health.mn.gov

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