COVID-19

Information for:

Guidance Library: COVID-19

List of guidance documents available for COVID-19 response.

On this page:
Businesses, Employers, and Schools
Community
Facemasks and PPE
Health Care
Laboratories
Law Enforcement
Risk Assessment
Stigma
Veterinary Care
Water

Businesses, Employers, and Schools

MDH

Visitor and Employee Health Screening Checklist (PDF)
Interim Recommendations for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 (PDF)
Mortuary Science
Licensing and regulation of funeral establishments; includes COVID-19 specific guidance.
MDH: Institutes of Higher Education (IHE): COVID-19
COVID-19 Exclusion Guidance: Decision Tree for Symptomatic Individuals in Schools & Childcare Programs (PDF)
Guidance for Social Distancing in Youth and Student Programs (PDF)
Guidance for youth programs, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and day camps. MDH continues to evaluate the feasibility of overnight camp operations, and will offer supplemental guidance when programming is able to resume.
Guidance for Social Distancing in Youth Sports (PDF)
- Frequently Asked Questions About Organized Youth Sports (PDF)
Reopening of Public Swimming Pool and Aquatic Facilities (PDF)
Playground Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs (PDF)
Food Service Worker Safety Information (PDF)
Guidance for school food programs.
Supporting Mental Well-being during COVID-19
- Tips and Resources for Children and Parents During COVID-19
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.
Frequently Asked Questions about Executive Orders Related to Bars, Restaurants, and Other Places of Public Accommodation (PDF)
Information for the hospitality industry and regulatory agencies.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: COVID-19 Outdoor Recreation, Facilities and Public Guidelines
Guidelines address public health protection measures for both authorized outdoor recreational facilities and the general public.
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.
Interim Guidance: Mobile Food Units at Rest Areas (PDF)
Information for the mobile food industry and regulatory agencies.
COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs
COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidance for Institutes of Higher Education

CDC

Guidance for Childcare Programs that Remain Open
Should be used in conjunction with CDC's guidance for administrators.
Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs
For administrators of public and private child care programs and K-12 schools.
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
May help prevent workplace exposures to COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. (CDC has provided separate guidance for health care settings.)
Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)
For administrators of public and private institutions of higher education (IHE).

Community

MDH

Guidance for Visiting People at Home (PDF)
For non-medical visits during the Minnesota "Stay at Home" executive order time period.
Homeless Service Settings: Interim Guidance for Providers (PDF)
These recommendations apply to homeless service settings and encampments.
Adult Day and Senior Day Center Settings: Interim Guidance for Administrators (PDF)
Jails and Correctional Settings: Interim Guidance for Responding to Cases of Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 (PDF)
Guidance for Building Managers in Congregate and High-Rise Housing (PDF)
Guidance for congregate housing, including apartment buildings, public housing, and other settings where groups of people or families live.
Interim Guidance on the Prevention of COVID-19 for Employees and Residents of Licensed Group Homes (PDF)
Guidance for providers delivering 245-D licensed residential services in adult foster care homes, community residential settings, supervised living facilities, and intermediate care facilities.
Interim Guidance on the Management of COVID-19 for Employees and Residents of Licensed Group Homes (PDF)
Updated Guidance for MDH-Licensed Providers of Residential Settings with At-Risk Residents | COVID-19 (PDF)
This guidance applies to all providers licensed by MDH where individuals at risk receive services.
Interim Guidance for the Prevention of COVID-19 in DHS-Licensed Residential and Non-Residential Settings with At-Risk Persons (PDF)
This guidance expands recommendations to DHS-licensed programs that provide residential or non-residential services in congregate settings.
DEED: Industry Guidance for Safely Reopening: Faith-based communities, places of worship, weddings, and funerals (PDF)
Guidance for faith communities.
- Guidance on Hosting Faith-Based Services in Parking Lots (PDF)
COVID-19 and Dental Care
When to see a dentist and what counts as a dental emergency.

CDC

Resources to Support People Experiencing Homelessness
Guidance for Retirement Communities and Independent Living
Resources for Correctional and Detention Facilities
Interim Guidance for Administrators and Leaders of Community- and Faith-Based Organizations to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Homes and Residential Communities
Recommended precautions for household members, intimate partners, and caregivers in a non-healthcare setting.
Discontinuation of Home Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 (Interim Guidance)
To help health care providers and public health officials managing patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) under in-home isolation.
Interim Guidance for Public Health Professionals Managing People With COVID-19 in Home Care and Isolation Who Have Pets or Other Animals

Facemasks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

MDH

When and how to wear a mask
What everyone should know about wearing masks in public.
Best Practices for Masks: Considerations for People with Disabilities and Special Health Needs (PDF)
Masking Recommendations for Child Care and Schools
Recommendations for those caring for children of essential workers (child care providers, family child care providers, and school-age care) and for Institutes of Higher Education (IHE).
The Difference Between Alternative Masks and Surgical Masks for COVID-19 (PDF)
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PDF)
Interim Guidance on Facemasks as a Source Control Measure (PDF)
Source control is a term used to describe measures intended to prevent infected individuals from spreading disease.
Interim Guidance on Alternative Facemasks (PDF)
There are many versions of non-FDA regulated facemasks, and facilities should evaluate each product before use.

CDC

Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
How to Make Your own Face Covering (YouTube)
Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE and Equipment
CDC's optimization strategies for PPE offer options for use when PPE supplies are stressed, running low, or absent.

Health Care

MDH

COVID-19 Recommendations for Health Care Workers (PDF)
Recommendations for health care workers who are ill or living with a person suspected of having COVID-19 regarding self-quarantine and restriction from work.
Aerosol-Generating Procedures and Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 (PDF)
Responding to and Monitoring COVID-19 Exposures in Health Care Settings (PDF)
Interim guidance for assessing, monitoring, and protecting health care workers during widespread community transmission.
Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Health Care Personnel with Potential Exposure to Patients with COVID-19 in:
- Inpatient Settings including Emergency Departments (ED) (PDF)
- Outpatient Settings excluding Emergency Departments (ED) (PDF)
COVID-19 Toolkit: Information for Long-term Care Facilities (PDF)
COVID-19: Visitation Restriction Guidance for Residential Care Facilities in Minnesota (PDF)
Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Health Care Personnel with Potential Exposure to Residents with COVID-19 in Long-term Care, Nursing Home, and Assisted Living Settings (PDF)
Pulse Oximetry and COVID-19 (PDF)
Supporting Medical Cannabis Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Temporary Changes to Tuberculosis Requirements (PDF)
Pediatric Vaccinations During COVID-19 (PDF)

CDC

Interim Guidance for Healthcare Facilities: Preparing for Community Transmission of COVID-19 in the United States
Outlines goals and strategies for all U.S. health care facilities to prepare for and respond to community spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
Preparing for COVID-19: Long-term Care Facilities (LTCF), Nursing Homes
General strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in LTCF.
Evaluating and Testing Persons for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
The CDC clinical criteria for considering testing for COVID-19 have been developed based on what is known about COVID-19 and are subject to change as additional information becomes available.
Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings
Infection control procedures, including administrative rules and engineering controls, environmental hygiene, correct work practices, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Interim Guidance of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PASPs) for COVID-19 in the United States
For all first responders, including law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, and emergency management officials, who anticipate close contact with persons with confirmed or possible COVID-19 in the course of their work.
Collection and Submission of Postmortem Specimens from Deceased Persons with Known or Suspected COVID-19, March 2020 (Interim Guidance)
Guidance for the collection and submission of postmortem specimens.
Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance)
Reference to guide health care regarding discontinuing transmission-based precautions and discharging hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Interim guidance for clinicians caring for patients with confirmed COVID-19.
Interim Guidance for Implementing Home Care of People Not Requiring Hospitalization for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
For coordinating the home care and isolation of people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, including persons under investigation.
Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Interim guidance intended to assist with assessment of risk, monitoring, and work restriction decisions for HCP with potential exposure.
Interim Considerations for Infection Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Inpatient Obstetric Healthcare Settings
For healthcare facilities providing obstetric care for pregnant patients with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or pregnant persons under investigation in inpatient obstetric healthcare settings including obstetrical triage, labor and delivery, recovery and inpatient postpartum settings.

Laboratories

CDC

Law Enforcement

CDC

What Law Enforcement Personnel Need to Know about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Interim guidance for law enforcement personnel.

Risk Assessment

CDC

Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Exposures: Geographic Risk and Contacts of Laboratory-Confirmed Cases
Interim guidance to provide U.S. public health authorities and other partners with a framework for assessing and managing risk of potential exposures to COVID-19 and implementing public health actions based on a person’s risk level and clinical presentation.
Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Interim guidance is intended to assist with assessment of risk, monitoring, and work restriction decisions for healthcare providers with potential exposure to COVID-19.

Stigma

CDC

Reducing Stigma Related to COVID-19
Information to combat stigma and discrimination associated with COVID-19.

Veterinary Care

MDH

Companion Animals and COVID-19 (PDF)
Information for pet owners on COVID-19.
Mobile Veterinarians and COVID-19 (PDF)
Guidance for mobile veterinarians caring for animals outside of a fixed facility to protect themselves and clients.
Veterinary Facilities and COVID-19 (PDF)
Guidance for veterinary facilities on COVID-19.

Water

MDH

Drinking Water and COVID-19
Information and resources about COVID-19 as it relates to drinking water.
Public Water Systems and COVID-19
Information and resources for public water systems (PWSs) about COVID-19. As buildings prepare to reopen, it's important to take steps to clear out water that has been sitting in pipes and clean and disinfect water features. This site includes information for ensuring water quality in building premise plumbing.

CDC