Businesses and Employers: COVID-19

As of June 1, the executive order from Governor Walz allows for the opening and operation of several types of businesses previously closed as a precautionary move.

Minnesota's Stay Safe Plan
As we continue the process of reopening our economy and returning to work and activities we enjoy, we must continue social distancing practices to save lives and stay safe. This plan outlines Minnesota's phased in approach to reopening various business and social settings.

General business guidance

• Stay Safe Guidance for All Business Entities
  Includes the official guidance for all businesses in multiple languages, preparedness plan template and instructions, and other business guidance materials.

Planning guidance

• COVID-19 Preparedness Plan Overview for Businesses and Employers
  Quick reference for developing and implementing a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. 
  
  

Health guidance

The health department and CDC have made available several guidance documents for employers.

• Visitor and Employee Health Screening Checklist (PDF)
  5/20/20
  • Hmong: Visitor and Employee Health Screening Checklist: (PDF)
  • Somali: Visitor and Employee Health Screening Checklist: (PDF)
  • Spanish: Visitor and Employee Health Screening Checklist: (PDF)
    
    
• What to do if an employee has COVID-19 (PDF)
  Updated 8/3/20
  
  
• COVID-19 Employee Screening and Testing Recommendations for Industry (PDF)
  6/10/20
  
  
• CDC: Reducing the Spread of COVID-19 in Workplaces
  See the question on screening employees for COVID-19 symptoms (such as temperature checks) for additional guidance.
  
  
• COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  7/27/20
  • Amharic: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Arabic: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Chinese: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Hmong: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Karen: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Lao: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Oromo: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Russian: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Somali: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Spanish: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
  • Vietnamese: COVID-19 and When to Return to Work (PDF)
    
    
• Interim Recommendations for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 (PDF)
  4/10/20
  
  
• Materials and Resources for COVID-19 Response
  Posters such as social distancing at work, health screening, and more available for download and print.
  

Food industry guidance

Due to the critical nature of maintaining our food supplies, care and caution should be taken by employers in this industry to ensure health and safety standards are being met for employees. Guidance for food industry operations of various types can be found on Food Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Meat processing

• COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines for the Meatpacking Industry (PDF)
  For translations, see DLI: MNOSHA Compliance: Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
  4/19/20

Food processing and manufacturing

• COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines for Food Processors and Manufacturers (PDF)
  5/19/20
  
  
• Food Processing and Manufacturing COVID-19 Best Practices Checklist (PDF)
  6/4/20

Additional resources

• Industry Guidance for Safely Reopening: Restaurants and Bars (PDF)
  Updated 8/3/20
  
  
• Industry Guidance for Safely Reopening: Gyms and Fitness Centers (PDF)
  Updated 8/3/20
  
  
• Industry Guidance for Safely Reopening: Faith-Based Communities, Places of Worship, Weddings, and Funerals (PDF)
  7/22/20
  
  
• Frequently Asked Questions: Bars, Restaurants, and Other Places of Public Accommodation (PDF)
  Information for the hospitality industry and regulatory agencies.
  Updated 7/27/20
  
  
• Interim Guidance: Mobile Food Units at Rest Areas (PDF)
  Information for the mobile food industry and regulatory agencies.
  5/4/20
  
  
• Interim Guidance for Hotel Managers and Owners (PDF)
  Guidance for operators of lodging facilities that are open for regular business, as well as those that are being used as temporary housing for people who have been infected with or exposed to COVID-19.
  Updated 4/28/20
  
  
• Guidance for Environmental Health Response to COVID-19 Cases in Regulated Business (PDF)
  Guidance for state and local environmental health (EH) specialists to expand the scope of the types of outbreaks to which they typically respond.
  6/25/20
  
  
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Guidance for Safely Opening Outdoor Recreation
  Guidelines address public health protection measures for authorized outdoor recreational facilities.
  
  
• Disaster Mental/Behavioral Health and COVID-19
  Mental health and behavioral health resources specific to COVID-19.

Contact us

• IDEPC Comment Form
  Use this form to contact the Minnesota Department of Health for questions or comments about health related issues or this web page.
• Contact the State of Minnesota
  Use this contact form for questions or comments related to businesses and employment or other non-health related issues.

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Minnesota Helpline:

For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mental Health Crisis Line - Call: **CRISIS (**274747)

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COVID-19 information in other languages:

• Kab Mob Khaus Las Nas Vais Lav 2019 (COVID-19)
  (Hmong)
• Cudurka Koronafayras 2019 (COVID-19)
  (Somali)
• Enfermedad del Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
  (Spanish)
• American Sign Language (ASL) Videos

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Contact us:

If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.