Community Settings: COVID-19
When an outbreak of a disease reaches the point where it is actively spreading in a community, community organizations need to take actions too. By taking these actions, community organizations can help slow the spread and reduce demands on the health care sector so the most seriously ill people get the supportive care they need.
On this page:
Community- and Faith-based Organizations
Adult Day and Senior Day Centers
Jails and Correctional Settings
Congregate Living Facilities (includes homeless shelters)
Community- and Faith-based Organizations
Mitigation strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Start now:
- Implement social distancing measures:
- Reduce activities (e.g., group congregation, religious services), especially for organizations with people with underlying medical conditions.
- Consider offering video/audio of events.
- Determine ways to continue providing support services to people at increased risk of severe disease (services, meals, checking in) while limiting group settings and exposures.
- Cancel large gatherings (e.g., more than 50 people, though threshold is at the discretion of the community) or move to smaller groupings.
- For organizations that serve high-risk populations, cancel gatherings of more than 10 people.
Continue these activities:
- Know where to find local information on COVID-19 and local trends of COVID-19 cases.
- Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if organization members/staff become symptomatic.
- Identify safe ways to serve those that are at high risk or vulnerable (outreach, assistance, etc.).
- Review, update, or develop emergency plans for the organization, with special consideration for people at increased risk of severe illness.
- Encourage staff and members to stay home and notify organization administrators of illness when sick.
- Encourage personal protective measures among organization/members and staff (e.g., stay home when sick, hand-washing, respiratory etiquette).
- Clean frequently touched surfaces at organization gathering points daily.
- Ensure hand hygiene supplies are readily available in building.
- Mortuary Science
Includes COVID-19 specific guidance.
Adult Day and Senior Day Centers
Jails and Correctional Settings
Congregate Living Facilities
- Congregate Living Facilities: Interim Guidance for Administrators (PDF)
These recommendations apply to congregate living facilities such as shelters, group homes, and residential treatment facilities.
- Minnesota Heading Home Alliance
For more information and guidance for shelter and congregate living (non-nursing home) providers.
