Guidance Library: COVID-19

List of guidance documents available for COVID-19 response.

On this page:
Businesses / employers
Schools, child care, and higher education
Community
Facemasks and PPE
Health Care
Contact us

---

• Minnesota Department of Health Process for Assessing Situational Risk for Transmission SARS-CoV-2 (PDF)

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.
  
  
• CDC: Workplaces and Businesses

Schools, child care, and higher education

The COVID-19 Decision Tree for Schools and Child Care has been retired and is replaced by the isolation and quarantine guides below. These guides reflect current CDC recommendations regarding when to isolate and quarantine 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
  
  Other languages: COVID-19 Isolation Guide

  • COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Hmong (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Somali (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Spanish (PDF)
• COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming (PDF)
  For people who are in close contact (exposed) to a person with COVID-19.
  3/15/22
  
  Other languages: COVID-19 Quarantine Guide

  • COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Hmong (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Somali (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Spanish (PDF)

• Best Practices for Handling a Confirmed Case of COVID-19 (PDF)
  Information for schools, child care, youth programs, and camps.
  Updated 3/1/22
  
  
• Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools for the 2021-22 School Year (PDF)
  Strategies to reduce transmission of COVID-19. Using these best practice prevention strategies consistently protects students, teachers, staff, and other members of their households and creates a safer in-person environment.
  Updated 3/10/22
  
  
• Recommendations for Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Delivering Direct Student Support Services (PDF)
  This document provides strongly recommended practices to school staff on the type of protective equipment that will be needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission when delivering direct student support services.
  Updated 3/24/22
  
  
• Recommendations for Providing Support to Students in Their Homes (PDF)
  This document outlines recommendations for school district staff providing in-home services to meet individual student needs.
  Updated 1/24/22
  
  
• Ventilation Guidance for Schools: COVID-19
  Information for school administrators and facilities managers who are responsible for ventilation in buildings.
  
  
• CDC: Schools, Child Care, and Colleges

Institutes of higher education

• COVID-19 Response Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education (PDF)
  This guidance document includes recommendations and resources to aid in responding to COVID-19 cases and outbreaks on campus.
  5/2/22
  
  
• Occupational Health and Safety Resources Related to COVID-19
  
  
• CDC: Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)

Community

• Indoor Air Considerations: COVID-19
  General considerations for air flow, ventilation, circulation, and more.
  Updated 1/22/21

Music, camps, and youth programs

• Recommendations for Music Activities and Performances During COVID-19 (PDF)
  Updated 6/30/21
  
  
• Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Youth Programs, Day and Overnight Camps (PDF)
  Updated 3/24/22

Community- and faith-based organizations

• COVID-19 Planning Recommendations for Funeral Services and Ceremonies (PDF)
  Updated 6/30/21
  
  
• Recommendations for Hmong Funerals during COVID-19 (PDF)
  Updated 6/30/21
  
  
• Mortuary Science
  Licensing and regulation of funeral establishments; includes COVID-19 specific guidance.
  
  
• CDC: Community Organizations and Gatherings

Congregate living and care facilities

• 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 3/3/22
  
  
• COVID-19 Investigation Toolkit for Homeless and Other Congregate Settings (PDF)
  Updated 4/4/22
  
  
• CDC: Homeless Populations

Jails and correctional settings

• COVID-19 Vaccine Facts in Correctional Facilities (PDF)
  Updated 3/28/22
  
  
• COVID-19 Investigational Toolkit for Correctional Settings (PDF)
  Updated 4/4/22
  
  
• CDC: Correctional and Detention Facilities
  • Interim Guidance on Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Correctional and Detention Facilities

DHS licensed residential and nonresidential settings

• Recommended Protective Actions in Residential and Nonresidential Settings Licensed by DHS (PDF)
  Updated 4/8/22

Adult day centers and day service facilities

• CDC: Guidance for Adult Day Services Centers

Home and community based community residential settings

• CDC: Guidance for Group Homes for Individuals with Disabilities
• 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 PPE and Source Control Grids (PDF)
  For congregate care settings, by community transmission level.
  Updated 4/7/22
  
  
• Crisis Standards of Care: Personal Protective Equipment
  Includes COVID-19 PPE recommendations and resources.
  
  
• CDC: Use of Masks to Slow the Spread of COVID-19

Health Care

• COVID-19 and Dental Care
  When to see a dentist and what counts as a dental emergency.
  
  
• Health Care Worker Isolation and Quarantine Recommendations
  Protocols for isolation and quarantine of health care workers during conventional, contingency, and crisis staffing situations.
  
  
• Defining Crisis Staffing Shortage in Congregate Care Facilities
  Crisis-level staffing criteria, strategies, and guidelines for congregate care facilities.
  
  
• Guidance for Temporary Plastic Barriers in Health Care Settings
  12/18/20
  
  
• Information for Organizations Requesting Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card
  
  
• Information for Organizations Requesting Cue Rapid Molecular Tests
  
  
• 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

Infection prevention and control

• Aerosol-Generating Procedures and Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 (PDF)
  Updated 4/12/22

Long-term care

• Resident Cohorts for Respiratory Outbreaks in Long-term Care (PDF)
  Updated 2/17/22
  
  
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Fan Considerations for Long-term Care during COVID-19 (PDF)
  5/19/21
  
  
• Vaccine Provider Models for COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts in Minnesota Long-term Care Facilities (PDF)
  Updated 9/8/21
  
  
• Long-term Care COVID-19 Booster Vaccination Plan (PDF)
  Proposed COVID-19 booster distribution and administration plan for LTC facilities. Includes COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Tracker template.
  Updated 11/10/21
  
  
• Long-term Care Using MIIC to Query COVID-19 Vaccination Status (PDF)
  11/10/21
  
  
• Long-term Care COVID-19 Vaccine Resources (PDF)
  Updated 3/31/21
  
  
• How to Complete the Long-term Care COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting Form (PDF)
  Updated 5/26/21
  • LTC Weekly COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
    1/19/21
    
    
• COVID-19 Guidance: Long-term Care Indoor Visitation for Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Settings (PDF)
  Updated 12/29/21
  
  
• Guidance for Congregate Living Settings: Placing Resident-requested Electronic Monitoring Devices (PDF)
  Updated 2/9/21
  Previously called Guidance for Congregate Living Settings to Assist Residents Requesting Camera Placement.

Health care facilities and systems

• Access to Support in Hospital Settings: Patients with Disabilities and Pediatric Patients (PDF)
  Updated 3/2/21
  
  
• Vaccination During COVID-19
  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)

Contact us

• IDEPC Comment Form
  Use this form to contact the Minnesota Department of Health for questions or comments about health related issues or this web page.
• Contact the State of Minnesota
  Use this contact form for questions or comments related to businesses and employment or other non-health related issues.