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
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
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. This guidance follows recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the risk of transmission and limit exposures. 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 guides below 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
- 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
Institutes of higher education
- COVID-19 Response Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education (PDF)
Updated 6/13/22 - 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
Community- and faith-based organizations
- Recommendations for Attendees and Organizers of Events: COVID-19
- Recommendations for Hmong Funerals during COVID-19 (PDF)
Updated 6/30/21
- CDC: Community Organizations and Gatherings
Congregate living and care facilities
- COVID-19 Testing and Case Reporting Resources for Shelter and Correctional Settings (PDF)
8/5/22
- COVID-19 Therapeutics Checklist for Shelter and Correctional Settings (PDF)
8/5/22
- 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 7/21/22
- COVID-19 Investigational Toolkit for Correctional Settings (PDF)
Updated 4/4/22
- CDC: 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
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
- How to Complete the Long-term Care COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting Form (PDF)
Updated 5/26/21 - COVID-19 Guidance: Long-term Care Indoor Visitation for Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Settings (PDF)
Updated 6/17/22
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.