Thursday, February 4
The state has identified 465,176 cases of COVID-19 as of today, with 450,383 of these patients no longer required to be isolated. 6,251 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.
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At a glance
What you need to know this week:
- State continues to administer the vaccine to those in phase 1A, not yet ready to move to 1B.
- Met Council leaders have not yet received confirmation of who will be in phase 1B.
- Federal mask requirement is now in effect for transit riders and operators.
- Case investigation survey can now be completed online, instead of over the phone.
- Avoid vaccine scams by following advice from the health department (included below).
Reminders: Stay safe. Mask up, get tested, stay home when you're sick, practice safe hygiene, and stay six feet from those outside your household.
Read on for more about these updates.
Vaccine availability for Met Council employees
Earlier this week, state officials noted that they are not yet ready to officially begin vaccinating groups identified in phase 1B. Met Council leadership have advocated for our frontline employees, particularly those in transit, wastewater treatment, and housing operations, to be in the 1B group. As soon as we receive confirmation about who will be in phase 1B, we will communicate next steps out to staff, including specific access to the vaccine for Met Council employees.
Returning teleworking employees to onsite
Met Council leaders are assessing timelines for returning teleworking employees to working onsite, based on what we know about the pace of vaccine rollout and further guidance from the state. We had previously announced that we would not be having teleworking employees return to onsite work until at least June. We'll have an update in the next few weeks about whether we extend that timeframe out to later in the year.
State still working through phase 1A
The state of Minnesota is still administering vaccines primarily to individuals in phase 1A categories, with some additional people added, based on guidance from the federal government. As of Tuesday (Feb. 2), 475,200 Minnesotans have received at least one vaccine dose and 128,694 people had completed the vaccine series, meaning they have received two doses and are considered fully vaccinated. Learn more about who is being vaccinated.
The state is focusing resources on vaccinating people age 65 and older, as well as educators and childcare providers. In addition, health care providers, residents of long-term care facilities, and first responders who deal with health care emergencies are also being vaccinated as part of the 1A groups.
At this point, demand for vaccines in Minnesota far exceeds supplies that are available, in spite of a modest increase in supplies from the federal government.
Next week, the state is opening community vaccination clinics across the state for the priority groups identified above. Individuals who have scheduled appointments will be able to obtain their vaccines through these sites. If you are in one of these prioritized groups and want to learn more about how to receive the vaccine, visit the state’s Find My Vaccine site.
For up-to-date information about vaccine availability and the number of people being vaccinated, visit the Minnesota Department of Health vaccine dashboard.
The vaccine is 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, wearing a mask indoors and outdoors, washing your hands frequently, and staying six feet away from others.
Federal mask requirement on transit now in effect
Anyone using transit must wear a properly fitted face mask while waiting for and riding transit under a new federal requirement that took effect this week. The requirement is expected to remain in effect until at least May 11. Face coverings have been required on all regional transit vehicles since last spring.
Operators are asked to remind customers not wearing a mask about the federal requirement, to offer them a mask from the supply available in the garage, and to inform them they will be denied a ride if they do not properly wear a mask at all times during their trip. Customers may be exempt from the requirement if they cannot safely wear a mask because of a disability as defined by the ADA.
Learn more about the federal requirement on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Metro Transit operators can refer to the internal bulletin for more details on this new requirement (PDF).
Case investigation survey now available online
Case investigations are a way to slow the spread of COVID-19. Usually, the case investigation interview from the Minnesota Department of Health is done over a phone call. Now, you have the option to answer the same questions in a private, online survey. The health department takes your privacy very seriously and will never ask you for money, banking information, or your Social Security number.
Watch this 2-minute video for more information on the online format.
  Avoid vaccine scams
Unfortunately, the Minnesota Department of Health has heard reports of people being contacted about COVID-19 vaccine opportunities that are actually scams. There is a lot of demand for vaccine right now and while claims that you can get the vaccine faster sound great, it’s important to be careful because these could be attempts to gain access to personal information.
So, how can you tell if it’s a scam? Here are a few ways the health department has shared:
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If they ask for your credit card, bank account, or social security number – that’s a scam. Public health and health care providers will not call you and ask for this information.
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If they offer to sell you the vaccine – that’s a scam. The state has heard reports about offers to sell someone the vaccine for a low price. The vaccine is free for everyone through appropriate vaccination clinics.
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If they say you can pay to get on a list for the vaccine or get access to the vaccine sooner – that’s a scam. Many health care providers have lists where people can express interest in getting the vaccine, but there is no cost for these.
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If they offer to ship you the vaccine – that’s a scam. You will need to get the vaccine from a medical professional, so any offers to ship the vaccine directly to you are not legitimate.
There is still a limited supply of vaccine available, so we continue to ask people to be patient. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t get a vaccine appointment yet or are not in one of the groups currently eligible to get vaccinated. There will be opportunities for everyone who wants to be vaccinated to get it, but it will take time.
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 Metro Transit work instructions and daily updates on new COVID-19 cases reported at each worksite, visit the Metro Transit MetNet page. For job aids and facilities updates for Environmental Services related to COVID-19, visit the Environmental Services 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 issues of our internal newsletters: Jan. 29 Insights and Feb. 4 HR Connect.
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).
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis (February 4):
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis by division (February 4*):
*These division numbers are reported weekly. These tables reflect changes week over week.
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