Minnesota Updates COVID-19 Testing Guidance for Unvaccinated Adults, Kids This Summer

(KNSI) – The Minnesota Department of Health is updating its COVID-19 testing guidance as more Minnesotans get vaccinated and start to resume travel and other activities this summer.

“Thanks to the nearly 3 million Minnesotans who have been vaccinated, we’ve been able to slow the spread of COVID-19,” MDH Commissioner Malcolm said. “But with variants continuing to circulate, the pandemic is not over, especially if you or your children are not vaccinated yet. That means testing can still be a very important tool.”

The guidance notes that the virus is still spreading in Minnesota, and 45.1 percent of state residents haven’t gotten the shot — children ages 11 and younger cannot, in fact, get vaccinated yet in the U.S.

MDH says people who are not fully vaccinated should get tested every two weeks if they’re spending time around people outside of their household, like at work, daycare or summer camps. This also applies when unvaccinated people attend gatherings and events where social distancing is hard to do or not possible, MDH says, like in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor venues.

“It’s important to remember children younger than 12 are still not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and can still be exposed or become sick with COVID-19,” MDH Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff said. “If your kids participate in activities where they may be exposed, or in settings with others outside your household, like day care or youth camps, they should get tested every two weeks.”

Unvaccinated people are also asked to get tested if they come into contact with someone who has COVID-19 and when they return home from domestic travel.

The new guidance says everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is advised to get tested for COVID-19 after international travel or if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Health care workers, due to their proximity to vulnerable patients, are also asked to get tested after domestic travel and after high-risk exposures, even if they are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 testing remains free at the state’s community testing sites, like at River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud, and at many pharmacies and health clinics. Minnesota’s COVID-19 hotline can also be reached at 1-833-431-2053.

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