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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
- COVID-19 Quick Reference Guidance for Correctional Facilities and Homeless Service Sites (PDF)
Answers to some of the most common questions when responding to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in correctional and detention settings and homeless service sites.
11/29/23 - 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 11/29/23 - COVID-19 Therapeutics Checklist for Correctional Settings and Homeless Service Sites (PDF)
Updated 12/29/23
Jails and correctional settings
- Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccination in Correctional Facilities (PDF)
Updated 9/20/23 - CDC: Guidance on Management of COVID-19 in Homeless Service Sites and in Correctional and Detention Facilities
DHS licensed residential and nonresidential settings
- CDC: Additional Information for Community Congregate Living Settings (e.g., Group Homes, Assisted Living)
- 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
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)