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Minnesota Department of Health

November 17, 2022

Minnesota News and Outreach

Celebrate safely, Minnesota

If you are planning to gather with family and friends over the upcoming holidays, take steps to help everyone celebrate safer! Here are some things you can do:

• Get vaccinated and boosted. Make sure you and your family are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines. And it?s a good time to get your flu vaccine, too!
• Check the CDC COVID-19 community level by county before you go and follow recommendations based on the level.
• Consider COVID-19 testing before gathering, particularly if there will be people there who are at higher risk for severe disease.
• Wash your hands often.
• Stay home if you are feeling sick.

Get more tips at Protect Yourself and Others: COVID-19.

Free at-home rapid tests

Governor Walz announced that four additional free at-home rapid tests are available to all Minnesota households in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday through the state?s online ordering program. Minnesotans who have previously ordered tests are again able to receive four additional tests per household at?order your free at-home rapid tests.

At-home rapid tests help detect the virus that causes COVID-19. You can do the nasal swab test anywhere and get results in about 15 minutes. The at-home rapid antigen tests can be used at any time, such as if you have symptoms of COVID-19, were exposed to someone who has COVID-19, or before an indoor gathering.?

SET
Know where your self-tests are at home and check the expiration dates.

TEST
Use your self-tests when you need them. Follow the instructions that come with the test kit.

Visit?COVID-19 Self-testing?to learn more about at-home tests.?

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Materials

We are adding new videos, print materials, and translated documents often. Check out the pages below to view, download, or print these resources.

Materials and Resources for COVID-19 Response Videos for COVID-19 Response

Visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for up-to-date information and?follow MDH on?Facebook, Twitter, &?Instagram.

What's New

International travel resources

With current COVID-19 travel recommendations, we are seeing an increase in travel in our communities, especially international travel. If you are planning on traveling soon, please take a moment to check out our updated?International Travel & Infectious Disease site! The webpages contain resources on how plan a safer trip abroad and what to do before, during, and after an international trip. If you will be traveling to a country where other diseases like malaria, dengue, or measles are endemic, you can also find specific information on preventative measures at?Guidance for Travelers: International Travel & Infectious Disease.

For organizations that serve community members traveling internationally, our?Materials and Resources: International Travel & Infectious Disease?page contains posters, handouts, and videos on topics related to travel. You can find materials on preventing the spread of COVID-19, tips on what to do if your travel medication is too expensive, and videos and flyers on how to stay safe when traveling abroad in a variety of different languages.?Resources will continue to be translated into languages spoken by our refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities in Minnesota.?

Updated MDH website

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) website has an updated look and new functionality. The website address?remains the same, but the upgrades provide a better user experience ? especially for those accessing the site by mobile devices.

Improved features include easier navigation, refreshed design, and cleaner layout. Responsive design elements offered by a new content management system improve the user experience for those on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. The updated design and layout allow for better readability and easier navigation of the site, with a new list of links at the top of a webpage to show the steps it takes to get to the page.?

Updated guidance and resources

• Masks: COVID-19

• Protect Yourself & Others: COVID-19

• What to Do While You Wait for a COVID-19 Test Result (PDF)
• About COVID-19 Vaccine
• COVID-19 Vaccine Basics (PDF)
• Protect Your Child from COVID-19 (PDF)
• Preparing COVID-19 Vaccines for Administration (PDF)
• Transporting COVID-19 Vaccines (PDF)
• COVID-19 Source Control (Masking), PPE, and Testing Grid (PDF)
• Health Care Worker Isolation and Quarantine Recommendations

NOTE:?Look for an "Updated" date below guidance links on our website to know when the resource was last revised.

MDH COVID-19 Public Hotline

For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call:

1-833-431-2053

Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To connect directly to a representative in American Sign Language, click the "ASL Now" button on Contact Us: COVID-19 Questions.

Minnesota Department of Health? |??health.mn.gov

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