Long-term Care Testing: COVID-19
Testing guidance, recommendations, and resources for long-term care (LTC) facilities.
On this page:
Overview and Guidance
Antigen Testing
Testing Resources
Employee Testing Posters
Overview and Guidance
Testing guidance and resources for long-term care (LTC) facilities.
Nursing facilities
Federally certified nursing facilities in Minnesota should refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) memo below for COVID-19 testing guidelines:
- CDC: Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes
- CMS QSO-20-38-NH: Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements (PDF)
Assisted living facilities
Antigen Testing
- Reporting Results of COVID-19 Tests Performed Inside Your Long-term Care Facility (PDF)
Updated 4/22/22 - How to Report COVID-19 Test Results Using a Spreadsheet (PDF)
Updated 12/9/21- MDH COVID-19 Lab Results Reporting File Template QSA (Excel)
for Quidel Sofia Antigen testing equipment - MDH COVID-19 Lab Results Reporting File Template BVA (Excel)
for BD Veritor Antigen testing equipment - MDH COVID-19 Lab Results Reporting File Template ABN (Excel)
for Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card - MDH COVID-19 Test Results General Spreadsheet (Excel)
For reporting any type of test not listed above.
- MDH COVID-19 Lab Results Reporting File Template QSA (Excel)
Video: Reporting of Point-of-Care Antigen Tests by Long-term Care Facilities
Short video describing how to fill in the point-of-care antigen test reporting template.
Transcript: Reporting of Point-of-Care Antigen Tests by Long-term Care Facilities (PDF)
Testing Resources
Resources for facilities undergoing resident or staff testing.
- Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care: COVID-19 Testing Notice (PDF)
Letter sent May 14, 2020
5/29/20 - What to Do While You Wait for a COVID-19 Test Result (PDF)
- Long-term Care (LTC) Emergency Preparedness
Tools developed to assist LTC facilities with emergency preparedness planning, including a response plan to support COVID-19 testing template and guidance document.
If a resident passes away in your facility, MDH recommends testing for COVID-19 if there are any confirmed cases in your facility or if the cause of death is not clearly due to causes besides COVID-19. A nasal pharyngeal swab needs to be collected from the deceased individual for testing prior to sending the body to the funeral home or medical examiner's office. The specimen can be sent to MDH for COVID-19 testing free of charge. Please refer to Evaluating and Testing for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for appropriate forms and submission guidance and call MDH (1-877-676-5414) to report the death and suspicion of COVID-19.
Employee Testing Posters
Posters for long-term care facilities can download and print to promote employee testing.
- Get Tested for COVID-19 (PDF)
- Get Tested for COVID-19 - add facility logo (PDF)
Download and open in Adobe Acrobat to insert your facility's logo.
COVID-19 information in other languages:
- Kab Mob Khaus Las Nas Vais Lav 2019 (COVID-19)
(Hmong) - Cudurka Koronafayras 2019 (COVID-19)
(Somali) - Enfermedad del Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
(Spanish) - American Sign Language (ASL) Videos
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.