Thursday, May 20
The state has identified 597,052 cases of COVID-19 as of today, with 582,480 of these patients no longer required to be isolated. 7,333 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:
- On May 13, Minnesota announced an end to its statewide mask mandate, effective immediately. Mask requirements remain in effect in some settings.
- Earlier that day, the CDC released updated mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people.
- At this time, the Met Council's COVID-19 precautions, including the face coverings procedure for all Met Council facilities, remain in effect.
- Some teleworkers will start returning to worksites in June. Plans are being put in place based on business needs, safety considerations, and department approval for returning on site through the summer.
- We are continuing to coordinate with state and county partners to make vaccine appointments directly available to our staff. Reach out to us if you need assistance making an appointment.
Read on for more about these updates.
Minnesota ends statewide mask mandate
On May 13, Gov. Walz announced the end of Minnesota's statewide face covering requirement. This change aligns our state with new guidance on face coverings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Mask requirements remain in effect in some settings
It is important to remember that mask requirements and recommendations remain for certain settings and situations:
- Local jurisdictions and entities may continue to have their own masking requirements.
- Minnesotans who are not fully vaccinated are strongly recommended to wear face coverings indoors.
- Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan, along with the existing face covering guidance for schools and child care settings, remain in effect.
- A federal mask requirement that applies to all forms of public transportation will remain in effect through September 13.
 Minnesota has ended its statewide mask mandate.
The state still plans to end the remaining capacity and distancing limits on May 28, including for indoor events and gatherings.
Review the updated Stay Safe Plan for the state's new guidelines.
It’s important to recognize that this does not mean the pandemic is over. The state will, of course, continue to monitor the virus and the growth of variants in the months to come.
Met Council COVID-19 precautions remain in effect
At Met Council facilities, please continue to wear a mask, maintain social distance, participate in health screening, wash your hands often, and stay home if you are sick. At this time, the Met Council's face coverings procedure remains in effect. Review our COVID-19-related policies and procedures on MetNet. We will continue to keep you informed as our guidelines change.
Some teleworkers will start returning to worksites in June
Over the next few weeks, managers and supervisors throughout the Met Council will be working with their teams to assess who may be interested in and suited to returning to onsite work on a limited basis through August.
You should work with your manager to make any adjustments to your work schedule and work location. Each division will be submitting plans to leadership and then the Incident Command team for approval and to assure technology resources and distancing in the workplace.
Planning Leads anticipate a small number of employees will return to the office this summer. Longer-term plans will be developed throughout the summer to phase-in a more comprehensive return to onsite work this fall.
Protecting the health and safety of our workforce is our top priority. Returning teleworkers will be provided guidance on practices and expectations, especially protocols to ensure a healthy work environment for on-site employees.
Stay tuned to this communication for additional information and guidance regarding plans and how they might affect your work environment. We’ll be updating MetNet resources and FAQs with more detailed guidance during the summer, as well.
Tools to help you find vaccination opportunities
As of Tuesday (May 18), 2,780,666 Minnesotans had received at least one vaccine dose and 2,410,545 people had completed the vaccine series. For up-to-date information on vaccine availability and distribution, visit the Minnesota Department of Health vaccine dashboard.
Our progress so far – and our path forward – relies on Minnesotans getting the vaccine. The vaccines are free, safe, and effective, and all Minnesotans age 12 and over can get one right now. Many sites are now offering walk-in appointments.
Check out these tools to find vaccine appointments:
For the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to last longer and be most effective against variants, two shots are required. If you’ve missed your second dose for any reason, get it as soon as possible.
If you still need a vaccine appointment, please email Lisa Belland at Lisa.Belland@metc.state.mn.us so we can make sure you receive notifications for available appointments through our county and state partners.
Remember, it takes at least two weeks from the final vaccine dose to develop immunity. Even after you are fully vaccinated, you should continue to wear masks and practice social distancing as recommended by public health officials, practice safe hygiene, delay travel, and get tested if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
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Continue testing to stop the spread of COVID-19
Anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should immediately contact their health care provider and seek testing, regardless of their vaccination status. How to get a COVID-19 test:
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: May 14 Insights (Transit), May 18 Wire, and May 20 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:
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Councilwide |
| Active positive COVID-19 |
19 |
| Cumulative COVID-19 since onset |
526 |
Employees with positive COVID-19 diagnosis by division:
These division numbers are reported weekly. These tables reflect changes week over week.
|
Division
|
New cases |
Total to date |
Returned to work |
Current active |
|
CD
|
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| ES |
0 |
82 |
79 |
3 |
| MT |
6 |
429 |
413 |
16 |
| MTS |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| RA |
0 |
12 |
12 |
0
|
| Total |
6 |
526 |
507 |
19
|
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