Long-term Care: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Guidance and resources for long-term care (LTC) facilities.

• Interim Enhanced Respiratory Outbreak Surveillance for Long-term Care Facilities (PDF)
  MDH is implementing enhanced respiratory surveillance in LTC facilities to rapidly identify any potential outbreaks of COVID-19.
  • If you suspect COVID-19 in an individual resident, follow guidance found at Evaluating and Testing for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • This guidance does not replace surveillance of influenza or RSV outbreaks in LTC. For more information, see Long-term Care: Influenza.

• Regional Health Care Preparedness Coordinators (RHPCs)
  Communicate any personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages or supply chain issues to Regional Health Care Preparedness Coordinators (RHPC).

• COVID-19: Visitation Restriction Guidance for Residential Care Facilities in Minnesota (PDF)

Infection Prevention Guidance

• 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)

• CDC: 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)

• CDC: Preparing for COVID-19: Long-term Care Facilties, Nursing Homes
  The general strategies CDC recommends to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in LTC facilities are the same strategies these facilities use every day to detect and prevent the spread of other respiratory viruses like influenza.

• CDC: Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE and Equipment

• 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.

CMS Guidance

• CMS: Policy & Memos to States and Regions
• CMS: Administrative Information Memos to States and Regions
  CMS Quality Safety & Oversight memoranda, guidance, clarifications, and information. Sort by most recent posting date.

Other Resources

• Behavioral Health and COVID-19
  Mental health and behavioral health resources specific to COVID-19.

• CDC: Steps Healthcare Facilities Can Take Now to Prepare for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

• CDC: Communication Resources | Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

• CDC: Implementation of Mitigation Strategies for Communities with Local COVID-19 Transmission (PDF)
  Guidance for moving from preparedness to community mitigation strategies.

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2019 Novel Coronavirus
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Koronafayraska Cusub ee 2019
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Enfermedad del Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
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COVID-19 PSA in American Sign Language (ASL)

Contact us:

If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.