Thursday, December 10
The state has identified 367,218 cases of COVID-19 as of today, with 324,304 of these patients no longer required to be isolated. 4,198 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.
Do you have thoughts or concerns on the content or frequency of these COVID-19 update emails? We would love to hear your feedback through the online COVID-19 form, so we can make sure these emails are providing the most useful and timely information to staff.
Gov. Walz announces Minnesota vaccine plans
Earlier this week, Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state expects to receive vaccines for approximately 183,000 people in the first phase of vaccine deployment, beginning later this year. States across the nation are awaiting approval of a vaccine from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which is anticipated in the coming days. Once the state receives the vaccines, officials expect a month-long rollout of the first phase. Watch the announcement.
The State of Minnesota will prioritize health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, based on direction from the federal government. The vaccine will be distributed through a network of hospital hubs across the state. Providers will administer the vaccine.
The state will receive doses of the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna during the first phase of vaccine distribution. The state also anticipates that additional doses of the vaccine will come in 2021, enough that hopefully every Minnesotan can be vaccinated.
Visit the Minnesota Department of Health page outlining the vaccine procedures for more information.
Health Partners resources on COVID-19 vaccines
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Council will continue 14-day quarantine practice
For months, CDC had recommended a quarantine period of 14 days for people exposed to someone with COVID-19, also known as close contacts. Quarantine is one of several public health tools used to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others. This guidance was based on evidence showing that close contacts can develop a COVID-19 infection as many as 14 days after being exposed.
The CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health are now providing additional guidelines for quarantine. However, the Metropolitan Council will continue to use a 14-day quarantine period as the best practice. The safest option is to stay away from others for 14 days.
You should stay away from others for 14 days if:
- Someone in your home has COVID-19.
- You live in a building with other people, where it’s hard to stay away from others and easy to spread the virus to multiple people, like a long-term care facility.
For additional information, visit the Minnesota Department of Health page for close contacts and tracing related to COVID-19.
Robert/Jackson employees: reminder on equipment pickup, access to facilities
For employees who need to pick up equipment from their workspaces at the Robert/Jackson facilities, staff recommend you follow should follow the COVID-19 pickup process outlined below:
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Email RobertStFacilities@metc.state.mn.us to request for pick up at lower level dock.
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Provide estimated pick up time and date. Minimum 24-hour notice please.
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Provide list of items needed from your office and/or supplies.
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Use call button at lower level entrance in alleyway to speak to security (Joseph or Amanda).
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Drive up to dock to pick up your items.
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Be sure to fill out “Equipment check out form.” (You must be on the Met Council network - onsite or virtual - to access the link. Contact your supervisor if you need assistance.)
- For those items that do not have asset tags you can simply identify the item in the description field.
If you have document printing needs, facilities staff can assist with print jobs and assist with pickup using the same procedure.
In addition, staff who may need to stop by the Robert/Jackson facilities to complete work tasks should coordinate those visits with their supervisor and facilities staff. Send an email to RobertStFacilities@metc.state.mn.us to let front desk staff know. Advance notice is appreciated. All staff will need to complete a temperature screening before they are allowed inside either the Robert or Jackson facility (begin in the Robert St. lobby to complete the temperature screening).
Reminders - in case you missed it
COVID-19 notification app
Don't forget to download and use the State of Minnesota COVID-19 exposure notification mobile application, COVIDaware MN, which will provide a voluntary, anonymous application that alerts a user if another user with whom they've had close contact tests positive for COVID-19.
The technology collects no data about users and protects individual privacy. If a person opts in and follows the health recommendations when notified of an exposure, state officials say the application will help slow the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about the app on the COVIDaware MN website, and download it today from Google Play or the App Store.
Resources to help you cope
Make sure you check out the online, webinar resources for resilience and self-care for the months ahead. Learn more about the Fit For Life sessions, Sand Creek online support, and the new LOD learning opportunities for teleworkers and their managers.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Employee Resource Center at EmployeeResourceCenter@metc.state.mn.us with any questions you might have about our COVID leave policy and staff support.
Upcoming sessions
Email Ashley Starr, Crystal Felten or Joy Ahern for the registration links.
- Monday, 12/14, 11 a.m. to 12 noon - Honoring Cycles: reflect, release and refresh for the new year
- Thursday, 12/17, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. - Embracing Movement on our Terms with Ragen Chastain
Virtual fitness classes
While our fitness rooms across the Met Council are temporarily closed, Fit For Life is happy to bring new online, live fitness classes to our employees.
All classes will use the same Zoom meeting link at the times listed below:
- Monday Madness: A tough cardio workout to jump start your week Monday, Dec. 14, 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.
- Tabata Strength: Wednesday, Dec. 16, noon to 12:30 p.m.
- Yoga-Pilates Fusion: This class fuses both practices and involves attaining specific postures, emphasizes correct breathing, and meditative mindfulness Tuesday, Dec. 22, 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- Cardio Kickboxing: A fun cardio class with a punch and a kick Wednesday, Dec. 30, noon to 12:30 p.m.
More classes are coming next year! Fit For Life also has a library of recorded classes for your convenience.
Stay home, stay safe
Restrictions on in-person social gatherings, events, adult and youth sports, and gyms and fitness centers remain in effect through at least Dec. 18. Bars and restaurants are limited to take-out and delivery service only.
Learn more about Dial back, Minnesota guidance.
Retail businesses, salons, and places of worship may continue to operate with proper precautions in place. Childcare remains open. Schools will continue to operate under the Safe Learning Plan, which shifts between in-person, distance, and hybrid learning depending on the local conditions of the virus. All other current restrictions also remain in effect.
Learn more about guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health to plan for holidays and travel.
Get tested - it's free and easy to do!
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) works in partnership with communities to provide safe and free on-site COVID-19 testing in areas with outbreaks, increasing cases, or other barriers to access existing test sites.
Community testing
In the metro area, free saliva testing is available in Anoka, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Burnsville, Inver Grove Heights, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Stillwater, and at the MSP Airport. This video and handout explain what to expect from the saliva testing process.
Check the COVID-19 Community Testing page on the MDH website to make an appointment and to stay up to date on locations and dates for new community testing sites.
MDH strongly encourages you to sign up for an appointment using the registration link listed with each location. Signing up ahead of time helps avoid long lines. People who walk in without an appointment might have to come back later or another day. If you are not able to sign up online, or need an interpreter, call 1-855-612-0677 for assistance.
In-home test kits available
The state is also offering in-home test kits for all Minnesotans, free of charge. Learn more about the process.
HealthPartners testing for Met Council employees
For employees who have a HealthPartners medical plan, HealthPartners has the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19 care and testing on their website at HealthPartners.com/coronavirus. In some cases, you may need to complete a video visit prior to obtaining a COVID-19 test.
If you’re a HealthPartners member, HealthPartners is providing coverage with no member cost share for administration of the COVID-19 laboratory test (regardless of where the test is performed).
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Check the MetNet pages, 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.
For the most current Metro Transit work instructions and daily updates on new COVID-19 cases reported at each worksite, visit the Metro Transit page.
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, The Wire, published Tuesday, and last week's Transit Insights.
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 have been reported to the Employee Resource Center. The "active positive COVID-19" number is the number of employees who currently have a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. The "cumulative" number marks the total number of employees who received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis since the pandemic began. The second table breaks down the positive cases by division for Environmental Services (ES), Metro Transit (MT), Metropolitan Transportation Services (MTS), and Regional Administration (RA).
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis (December 10):
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis by division (December 10*):
*These division numbers are reported weekly. These tables reflect changes week over week.
 
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