Guidance Library: COVID-19

List of guidance documents available for COVID-19 response.

On this page:
Businesses / employers
Schools, child care, and higher education
Congregate settings and care facilities
Facemasks and PPE
Health Care

Businesses / employers

• Food Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Compilation of resources from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), and other state and national agencies. Includes guidelines for the meatpacking industry.

Schools, child care, and higher education

Schools, child care, youth programs, and camps are strongly encouraged to develop policies and protocols around reporting of positive cases, management of case follow-up, and notification of exposed persons in alignment with public health guidance. Schools, child care, youth programs, and camps should implement these strategies to the extent possible while also considering educational needs, the social and emotional well-being of children, and the importance of children's access to learning and care.

The guide below reflects current CDC recommendations regarding when to isolate and for how long depending on a person's ability to wear a mask consistently.

• COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming (PDF)
  For people who are sick or test positive.
  3/15/22

While the CDC no longer recommends quarantine (staying home) after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people take precautions, including getting tested and wearing a mask, regardless of vaccination status or if they have had a previous infection.

• CDC: What to Do If You Were Exposed to COVID-19
• CDC: Schools and Childcare Programs
• CDC: Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning
• COVID-19 Planning and Response for Institutions of Higher Education (PDF)
  Updated 8/14/23

Congregate settings and care facilities

• Indoor Air Considerations: COVID-19
  General considerations for air flow, ventilation, circulation, and more.
  Updated 1/22/21
• COVID-19 Testing and Case Reporting Resources for Shelter and Correctional Settings (PDF)
  Updated 8/25/23
• COVID-19 Therapeutics Checklist for Shelter and Correctional Settings (PDF)
  Updated 7/26/23
• Strategies to Mitigate Resource Constraints During COVID-19 Surges in Shelter and Correctional Settings (PDF)
  3/3/22

Homeless service providers

• Shelter-in-place Guidance During COVID-19 Surges in Homeless Shelters (PDF)
  Updated 2/7/23
• COVID-19 Investigation Toolkit for Homeless and Other Congregate Settings (PDF)
  Updated 4/4/22

Jails and correctional settings

• COVID-19 Vaccine Facts in Correctional Facilities (PDF)
  Updated 7/20/23
• COVID-19 Investigational Toolkit for Correctional Settings (PDF)
  Updated 4/4/22
• CDC: Correctional and Detention Facilities

DHS licensed residential and nonresidential settings

• Recommended Protective Actions in Residential and Nonresidential Settings Licensed by DHS (PDF)
  The guidance in this document is currently under review. Updated information will be available soon.
  Updated 11/22/22
• CDC: COVID-19 Guidance for Adult Day Services Centers
• CDC: Guidance for Direct Service Providers

Intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ICF-IID)

• CMS: Policy and Memos to States and Regions
• CDC: Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Facemasks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Masks: COVID-19
  What everyone should know about wearing masks in public.
• COVID-19 Source Control (Masking), PPE, and Testing Grid (PDF)
  Updated 9/15/23
• Crisis Standards of Care: Personal Protective Equipment
  Includes COVID-19 PPE recommendations and resources.

Health Care

• COVID-19 and Dental Care
  When to see a dentist and what counts as a dental emergency.
• Health Care Worker Isolation and Exposure Recommendations
  Protocols for isolation and managing exposures of health care workers during conventional, contingency, and crisis staffing situations.
• Defining Crisis Staffing Shortage in Congregate Care Facilities: COVID-19
  Crisis-level staffing criteria, strategies, and guidelines for congregate care facilities.
• Guidance for Temporary Plastic Barriers in Health Care Settings
  12/18/20
• Ivermectin and COVID-19 (PDF)
  Information for health care organizations and providers.
  4/20/22
• Prescribing Antibiotics in Outpatient Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF)
  4/9/21
• Best Practices for COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Sites: Disability-related Accessibility

Long-term care

• Resident Cohorts for Respiratory Outbreaks in Long-term Care (PDF)
  Updated 7/26/23
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Fan Considerations for Long-term Care during COVID-19 (PDF)
  5/19/21
• Elections and Voting Guidance for Long-term Care Facilities (PDF)
  8/18/22
• COVID-19 Guidance: Long-term Care Indoor Visitation for Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Settings (PDF)
  Updated 6/17/22

Health care facilities and systems

• Access to Support in Hospital Settings: Patients with Disabilities and Pediatric Patients (PDF)
  Updated 3/2/21
• Pediatric Immunization Gaps Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Addresses the importance of continuing routine vaccination during the pandemic.
• CDC: Healthcare Workers: Information on COVID-19
  Clinical care, vaccine, infection control, settings, operations, guidance, and research.
• CDC: Information for Laboratories about Coronavirus (COVID-19)