Thursday, April 23
The state has identified more than 2,940 cases of COVID-19 as of today, with 1,536 of these patients no longer required to be isolated. 200 deaths have been reported. For more information on the current situation, visit the Minnesota Department of Health website.
At the bottom of this email, you will find Met Council workforce statistics related to COVID-19 leave that have been reported to the Employee Resource Center.
Governor extends distance learning, sets up safe return to work
In his press conference today, Governor Tim Walz outlined next steps in the response to COVID-19 in Minnesota. The Governor extended distance learning through the end of the school year, announced a plan for up to 100,000 workers to safely return to their jobs, and explained the different factors determining the gradual re-opening of society in Minnesota.
Governor Walz made it clear that the stay-at-home order remains in effect as we consider ways to gradually loosen restrictions starting with settings most conducive to safe practices. Given those considerations:
- Distance learning will continue through the rest of the 2019-2020 school calendar year. The state continues to pursue opportunities to expand technology for students, provide guidance for teachers on how to best connect with students, and support families.
- Certain non-critical businesses will be allowed to safely return to work. Developed in partnerships with hundreds of businesses, labor and worker organizations, and public health experts, this action will allow 80,000-100,000 Minnesotans to return to work in industrial, manufacturing, and office settings on Monday, April 27. More information on the business plan is available at mn.gov/deed/safework.
Prior to loosening restrictions for a given setting, businesses must:
- Create, share, and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan that sets out the actions they are taking to ensure social distancing, worker hygiene, and facility cleaning and disinfection necessary to keep workers safe.
- Engage in health screening of employees and ensure that sick employees stay home.
- Continue to work from home whenever possible.
This does not impact the Met Council's employees. At this time, our work arrangements continue as is.
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 Governor Walz explained the different factors and key questions determining the gradual re-opening of society in Minnesota.
Daily updates posted at Metro Transit work sites
Metro Transit managers and supervisors: Please remember to download and post the latest COVID-19 update at your work site. For more information, contact Drew Kerr at drew.kerr@metrotransit.org.
There is not a new Metro Transit Daily COVID-19 Update today (April 23). Check back tomorrow for updates.
Investing in our local economy
Something you may not know about but has far-reaching effects on our region is the Met Council's Certificate of Deposit Program that helps positively impact equity within the communities we serve. In this program, we place a portion of our long-term investment portfolio in qualifying community banks and credit unions that have a successful track record of loaning funds to people of color and indigenous people, female or small business, in affordable housing initiatives, unbanked programs and community development.
The Met Council is projecting to invest a total of $20-25 million in certificates of deposits (CD) in seven local financial institutions, and with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, we have accelerated some of our work to support the small community banks who desperately need to lend out to small businesses in the area.
This work is more important than ever. We have placed three $1 million CDs in the month of April in small community banks in Jordan, Champlin, and Stillwater. Thank you to our Treasury team and Council members for their leadership in this effort!
Resource for staff: Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE)
The Met Council’s membership in the Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE) is a resource for all Met Council employees. We have been a member of GARE for the past several years and value its purpose.
GARE is a national network of governmental bodies and agencies working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. Across the country, governmental jurisdictions are:
- Making a commitment to achieving racial equity,
- Focusing on the power and influence of their own institutions, and
- Working in partnership with others.
As an employee of the Met Council, you can access the resources of GARE for general information on racial equity and/or for information focused on racial equity aspects of the work you, your work unit, and your division are charged with. If you're looking for good training and networking opportunities, below are three ways you can access the resources found on the GARE website and its national networks.
- Metropolitan Council employees can access the GARE Portal. Simply answer the questions at this link, and you will become a Metropolitan Council-associated GARE member and you will receive a member profile and access to the GARE site within 24-48 hours.
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GARE informational sessions are offered two times a month. During the sessions GARE staff talk about all of the member benefits and conduct a live demo of the GARE Portal. This is a great introduction to the organization and ensures that you can maximize your use of its resources.
- Additionally, in this time of COVID-19, GARE hosts a special convening every Friday at 12 p.m. More than 150 people from the GARE network have come together for a 90-minute meeting to focus on prioritizing racial equity at this time. More information about this can be found on the GARE COVID-19 Portal page (once you have a GARE member profile, you can log in and see the info).
We encourage you to become a member and use GARE as a resource for your work and education. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Met Council's Office of Equal Opportunity.
Check the MetNet page, FAQs
For the most current information related to the COVID-19 outbreak, visit the MetNet page and be sure to review the FAQs for staff and managers. They are updated as we have new information to communicate.
If you have questions, talk to your manager or supervisor or submit a question or concern in the online COVID-19 form.
Check out the latest issue of HR Connect, which was published today.
For those who cannot easily access MetNet and/or would like a printable PDF of the FAQs, here are the most recent versions of these pages:
Met Council workforce statistics
The following statistics related to COVID-19 leave have been reported to the Employee Resource Center. Managers: Remember to report any absences that are related to COVID-19 so your staff can be counted and you can be sure their leave is being handled correctly.
The data in these tables is based on reports from managers and reflects the number of employees out on COVID-19 leave this morning. Employees in the “symptoms” category have not been tested or are awaiting test results and have symptoms that are almost certainly related to COVID-19.
Employees in the “isolation” category have been approved for COVID-19 leave to stay home and avoid interactions with other people because of underlying health conditions, they may have some symptoms and want to take extra precautions, or they may have been exposed to a person who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Given that testing is not widely available, they may not be able to confirm whether their symptoms are related to COVID-19, but they are isolating themselves as a preventive measure, and managers are required to follow up on a regular basis with those employees to ensure they are following the leave procedure.
Employees on COVID-19 leave and those who have returned from leave (April 23):
Reasons for employees taking paid COVID-19 leave (April 23):
 
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