CDC updated their recommendations for isolation and quarantine when sick or exposed to COVID-19: Quarantine and Isolation. We updated If You Are Sick or Test Positive and Close Contacts and Quarantine, and we are working to revise other guidance and materials to align with CDC over the coming days.

Information for Confirmed Cases and Contacts

If you receive a text message from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) at 877-790-8031, please respond with your email address to receive important information and complete an online survey. Responding to the text and email is important for helping us stop the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota. Learn more at Case Investigation and Contact Tracing: COVID-19.

Scam warning: Please note that MDH will never ask for any financial information, your social security number, or insurance information during or after a case investigation. If you receive a communication from someone claiming they are MDH staff that asks for any of this information, do not provide this information to them, as it is likely a scam.

On this page:
Instructions for confirmed cases
Instructions for contacts of confirmed cases
Employment information
Additional resources
Research studies

Instructions for confirmed cases of COVID-19

If you have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms and are at high risk for severe disease, you may be able to get medicine. Refer to COVID-19 Medication Options for more information.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you should stay home and away from others (isolate) and follow the instructions below. The amount of time you need to stay home depends on several things: wearing a well-fitting mask, having symptoms, and/or being severely ill or immunocompromised.

We recommend that you notify your close contacts so they can take precautions. Close contacts are people you have been within 6 feet of for 15 minutes or more. Please notify your close contacts of your COVID-19 infection. Close contacts should quarantine following their exposure.

You may contact close contacts anonymously if you prefer, using the COVIDaware MN app.

Questions? People with COVID-19 can call 1-833-431-2053.

Instructions for contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19

If you are at high risk of severe illness, you may be able to get medicine to help keep you from getting sick. Refer to COVID-19 Medication Options for more information.

When you have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, you should stay home and away from others (quarantine) and follow the instructions below to protect yourself, your family, and your community. Watch yourself for symptoms, such as fever; cough; shortness of breath; chills; headache; muscle pain; sore throat; fatigue; congestion; or loss of taste or smell.

Information for close contacts about getting tested: COVID-19 Testing.

Questions? Contacts of someone with COVID-19 can call 1-833-431-2053.

Employment information

No medical examination is necessary to clear someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 before they return to work, school, or other activities, per guidance from MDH and CDC. Refer to links above for guidance.

Employers should be aware that Minnesota Statutes, section 144.4196 provides employment protections when a person is in isolation or quarantine for public health purposes.

If you have concerns about your employer, you may contact the Department of Labor and Industry at 1-877-470-6742.

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry resources on worker protections:

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, the following is a letter for your employer that you may download. To Whom It May Concern: This letter explains isolation, return to work guidelines, and worker protections (PDF).

Additional resources

To find more information about community-based organizations that serve communities hit hardest by COVID-19, such as communities of color, American Indian and LGBTQ communities, and Minnesotans with disabilities, visit COVID-19 Community Coordinators.