Tag: Minnesota Department of Health

All Minnesotans ages 18-35 should get tested for COVID-19, health officials say

Are you a Minnesotan between the ages of 18 and 35? If so, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has a message for you: Please get tested for COVID-19.

With new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths skyrocketing, Gov. Tim Walz rolled out new measures this week to reduce the spread of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that are specifically aimed at younger adults. Health officials say the virus is being disproportionately spread by 18- to 35-year-olds, many of whom may be asymptomatic and unaware they are infected and contagious. So they are encouraging all Minnesotans in that age group to get tested as soon as possible.

“If you’re young and asymptomatic, you can spread it to others,” said MDH assistant commissioner Dan Huff. “If you’re coming home from college or coming home for the holidays for Thanksgiving, get tested before you come home. Everyone should get tested before they come home to visit relatives.” Continue reading.

Minnesota Health officials issue strict new guidance for visits to senior care facilities

Faced with an alarming resurgence of the coronavirus in senior living facilities, state health officials are recommending strict new guidelines around when and how these facilities should further open their doors to outside visitors.

The Minnesota Department of Health released detailed guidance Monday for the reopening of Minnesota’s long-term care facilities to family members and outside caregivers. For the first time, state regulators are recommending that facilities consider COVID-19 infection rates in the community, among other factors, before any further relaxing of their visitation policies.

The guidelines mark a shift by state regulators toward a more cautious posture in allowing visitors to long-term care facilities, which have seen a surge of new coronavirus cases in recent weeks. They are recommending that facilities meet minimum safety standards and consider community infection rates, similar to the decentralized approach that was developed for schools. At the same time, state health regulators stopped short of pulling back on recent steps to ease visitor restrictions, citing concerns about the harmful effects of prolonged isolation and loneliness. Continue reading.

Minnesota eases lockdown on senior homes, allows visits by “essential caregivers”

For the first time in four months, fami­lies will be al­lowed to vis­it their loved ones in­side seni­or care homes, as Min­ne­so­ta health auth­ori­ties cau­tious­ly lift lock­down re­stric­tions meant to pre­vent the spread of the novel co­ro­na­vi­rus among vul­nera­ble old­er adults.

The Min­ne­so­ta Department of Health is rec­om­mend­ing that nurs­ing homes and as­sist­ed-liv­ing fa­cili­ties al­low cer­tain fam­i­ly mem­bers and out­side care­giv­ers in­side these fa­cili­ties to help mon­i­tor resi­dents’ care and al­le­vi­ate the harmful ef­fects of pro­longed i­so­la­tion and lone­li­ness. These “es­sen­tial care­giv­ers” will be de­sig­nat­ed by the fa­cili­ties and will be al­lowed to make sched­uled vis­its last­ing up to three hours a day, or until caregiving tasks are completed, un­der new guide­lines is­sued Fri­day.

The an­nounce­ment marks the most sig­nifi­cant step so far toward the re­open­ing of Min­ne­so­ta’s 1,700 seni­or care com­mu­ni­ties, which have come to re­sem­ble locked fortresses since the pan­dem­ic be­gan. With vir­tu­al­ly all visi­tors bar­red from nurs­ing homes since mid-March, seni­or home resi­dents have en­dured months of wrenching i­so­la­tion in their rooms. Continue reading.

Minnesotans can start outdoor visits with loved ones in nursing homes, state officials say

State health officials are seeking to balance the risk of infection with ills caused by prolonged isolation.

For the first time in months, Minnesotans who live in senior care facilities can meet face-to-face with their loved ones, provided their visits are outdoors.

The Minnesota Department of Health released new guidance late Wednesday that allows outdoor visits at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities under a strict set of guidelines.

Visits have been all but barred at these facilities since mid-March, when they closed their doors in an effort to protect vulnerable residents from COVID-19, the deadly respiratory illness caused by the virus. Continue reading.

No matter the testing availability, Minnesotans urged to stay home

The message from state health officials is loud and clear.

The message from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) on Wednesday was loud and clear: stay home if you’re sick. No ifs, ands, or buts about it – and stay home and follow community mitigation advice even if you’re feeling fine. If possible, work from home.

MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann has made it clear that slowing the spread of the coronavirus in Minnesota is largely in the hands of Minnesotans, and the pandemic needs to be taken seriously.

“People are reacting at several different extremes on the spectrum. We have a number of people who are taking this very seriously … but there are a number of people that think this is too much and overkill,” Ehresmann said during Wednesday’s conference call. Continue reading.