Thursday, December 17
The state has identified 389,171 cases of COVID-19 as of today, with 358,667 of these patients no longer required to be isolated. 4,658 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.
Next week, this email will be distributed on Wednesday. We will be taking a break, unless there's critical news to report, the week of Dec. 28 and will resume our regular schedule Jan. 7.
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 plans to dial back some restrictions, encourages continued care and precautions
On Wednesday, Gov. Tim Walz announced plans to relax some restrictions on activities, while keeping others in place for several more weeks, in an effort to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep hospitalizations down. The goal for these changes, Walz said, is to prioritize getting K-5 students back to school and to protect hospital capacity.
Gov. Walz also updated the Safe Learning Plan so that starting on Jan. 18, 2021, every elementary school across the state may choose to operate in an in-person learning model as long as they are able to implement additional mitigation strategies, which include providing and requiring staff to wear a face shield and mask and offering regular testing. Other adjustments are listed below.
-
Social Gatherings: Indoor gatherings are not recommended, but Minnesotans may gather inside with one other household up to 10 people. If outside, social gatherings may include three total households with a maximum of 15 people, starting Dec. 19. Masking and social distancing is strongly encouraged.
-
Gyms and fitness studios: May open for individual exercise at 25% capacity, or 100 people maximum, with masks and 12 feet of physical distancing between individuals. Additional guidance about group classes, which can begin January 4, will be forthcoming.
-
Youth and adult sports: Practices can resume January 4. Additional guidance regarding the resumption of practices will be forthcoming.
-
Outdoor entertainment venues: Open at 25% capacity, up to 100 people at a time. If food and drink are served, all must be seated.
Bars, restaurants, and breweries also remain closed for indoor dining, but they may open for outdoor service at 50% capacity, or up to 100 people.
Watch the announcement.
Read the executive order.
Learn more about the state's dial-back guidance.
|
Some Council fitness facilities will reopen
Following the updated guidance from Gov. Walz, Met Council fitness facilities will reopen beginning Dec. 19 (Saturday). The Robert/Jackson fitness room is closed until further notice, due to recent water damage on the lower level of the Robert St. building.
Only staff who are working on-site at a facility should be accessing the fitness facilities.
Gov. Walz extends peacetime emergency, calls special session
On Dec. 14, Gov. Tim Walz extended the peacetime emergency for COVID-19 until mid-January. He also called the Legislature into special session. The Legislature met Dec. 14 and adjourned after passing a
$216 million small business relief package, signed into law by Gov. Walz on Dec. 16.
Reminder: masks are required at Council worksites
The executive order mandating that Minnesotans wear a face covering indoors remains in effect, and all Met Council employees, Council members, contractors, vendors, and volunteers are required to wear face coverings per our procedure when in the workplace or public service environment.
It is very important we are all following this critical public health practice, and we urge all staff – whether you’re a front-line employee or a manager – to encourage each other to wear a mask and follow the other guidelines like physical distancing, handwashing, and disinfecting work areas.
Masking continues to be a key precaution in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Statewide masking will put us in a better position to keep our businesses open, get our children back in school, and help us return to the activities we love.
You can read more on MetNet about our procedure and best practices for wearing face coverings.
Remember:
- Everyone who can wear a mask should.
- A face covering is not a substitute for physical distancing, but it is especially important in situations when it is not possible to maintain at least a six-foot distance from other individuals who are not members of the same household.
- Wearing a mask does not mean people who are sick should be in public. Stay home if you are sick, unless you need to seek medical care.
- When leaving home, have a face covering with you at all times to be prepared to comply with these requirements.
- Even if you've had COVID-19, you should still wear a mask because we do not know if people can get sick with COVID-19 again.
- Do not put masks or face coverings on children under age 2.
- Do not put masks or face coverings on anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or unable to remove the mask without help.
- People with disabilities or special health needs might not be able to wear a mask.
Vaccines: what you should know
The first vaccines for COVID-19 have arrived in Minnesota and are being distributed primarily to front-line health care workers. Minnesota is receiving a limited number of vaccines in the first phase of deployment, but anticipates that additional doses will come in 2021, enough that hopefully every Minnesotan can be vaccinated.
State officials are creating an advisory group to identify who will be in various priority groups to receive the vaccine in subsequent phases of distribution. The Met Council will work to advocate for our front-line workers to be included in early deployments of the vaccine. Council planning groups are also evaluating the best way to ensure vaccines are available to employees who will need them.
We will continue to follow guidance from the state during the vaccine deployment process. The Minnesota Department of Health also has some helpful resources to answer questions you might have about the safety and importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Many of you have asked if the vaccine will be required, and the state has said it will not be required at this time and is likely to not be in the future. However, taking the vaccine when it is widely available will be highly encouraged. It's important to know that the vaccine is administered in two doses and that it takes several weeks before an individual develops immunity. The vaccine is just one tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19, and even after the vaccine is available, you should continue staying home when you're sick, making sure you have a mask indoors and outdoors, washing your hands frequently, and staying 6 feet away from others.
Health Partners resources on COVID-19 vaccines.
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 testing is available in Anoka, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park (multiple locations), Burnsville, Inver Grove Heights, Minneapolis (multiple locations), St. Paul (multiple locations), Stillwater, and at the MSP Airport. Both nasal swab and saliva testing options are available.
Check the COVID-19 Community Testing page on the MDH website to make an appointment and to learn what to expect with each testing method.
MDH reports that there is ample availability for appointments and walk-in testing. Signing up ahead of time may help avoid long lines. 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).
|
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.
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:
- 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.
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 and last week's Transit Insights.
Please note several newsletters are taking a holiday break: The Wire will not be issued on Dec. 22 and HR Connect and Insights will not be issued that week due to the holiday. Insights will return on Thursday, Dec. 30 for a year-end edition, HR Connect will publish the week of new year's, and The Wire returns on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021.
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 Community Development (CD), Environmental Services (ES), Metro Transit (MT), Metropolitan Transportation Services (MTS), and Regional Administration (RA).
Special thanks to those of you who provided feedback that you wanted to see more detail about cases in all the divisions. This week's report includes Community Development (CD) for the first time - it was previously included inadvertently in the RA numbers. Let us know if you have other suggestions.
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis (December 17):
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis by division (December 17*):
*These division numbers are reported weekly. These tables reflect changes week over week.
 
|
