Prisons, Detention Centers, & Homeless Service Sites: COVID-19

On this page:
Operational and response guidance
Testing and case reporting
Therapeutics
Vaccination
Data and trends

The following guidance applies to correctional and detention settings as well as homeless service providers and shelters.

Guidance for long-term care, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities can be found at Long-term Care: COVID-19.

Contacts, email updates, and webinars

• Contact the COVID-19 highly impacted settings unit at Health.R-congregate@state.mn.us.
• Sign up to receive infectious disease for congregate living email updates from MDH.
• Subscribe to Email Updates for American Indian Infectious Disease Resources.
• Find a local or tribal health department or community health board.
• Visit Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness: Webinars to register for the weekly shelter providers webinar and review slides from past webinars.

Operational and response guidance

• Respiratory Virus Quick Reference Guidance for Prisons, Detention Centers, and Homeless Service Sites (PDF)
  Answers to some of the most common questions when responding to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in correctional and detention settings and homeless service sites.
  08/6/24
• CDC: Respiratory Virus Guidance
  Guidance for preventing and responding to respiratory viruses in community settings including correctional and detention facilities and homeless service settings. Guidance does NOT apply to healthcare settings including portions of correctional facilities and shelters where healthcare is provided.
• CDC: Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2
  Guidance for preventing and responding to COVID-19 in healthcare settings.
• NIOSH: Safe and Proper Use of Disinfectants to Reduce Viral Surface Contamination in Correctional Facilities
  Printable posters in English and Spanish with information on how to reduce viral surface contamination through safe and proper use of disinfectants in correctional facilities.
• HUD Exchange: Infection Control and Winter Planning Series
  Series of short videos to help congregate settings with winter planning and infection control. Topics include general infection control measures, communicating with staff and residents about infectious viruses, personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfection, and isolation and operational considerations for congregate and non-congregate shelters.
• Project Firstline Training and Resources
  Webinars, videos, posters, and other resources to empower staff members in building their foundational knowledge of infection prevention and control.

Testing and case reporting

• COVID-19 Testing and Case Reporting Resources for Shelter and Correctional Settings (PDF)
  Provides a list of COVID-19 testing resources available through MDH, offers advice on selecting an appropriate testing strategy, and walks through the requirements for reporting results.
  Updated 09/11/24
• COVID-19 Outbreak and Death Reporting Form for Shelters and Correctional Facilities
  Use this form to report a COVID-19 outbreak or death in a staff person or resident suspected to have died due to COVID-19.
• Minnesota Department of Administration: COVID-19 Testing Master Contract Program
• COVID-19 Community Testing
  Information about community testing site locations.
• COVID-19 Testing
  General information such as where and when to take a COVID-19 test.

Therapeutics

• COVID-19 Therapeutics Checklist for Prisons, Detention Centers, and Homeless Service Sites (PDF)
  Updated 05/30/24
• COVID-19 Medications
  Information about medications to prevent and treat COVID-19, including who may benefit from treatment and how to access treatment.

Vaccination

• Vaccination Event Request Form for Congregate Settings (COVID-19 and influenza)
  Online form to request vaccine clinics for COVID-19 and annual influenza vaccine. Facilities can also request harm reduction services.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Facts in Correctional Facilities (PDF)
  Printable information on COVID-19 vaccines that can be shared with staff and residents in correctional and detention facilities.
  Updated 9/20/23
• University of Minnesota: COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in Minnesota's Prisons and Jails
  Includes a series of videos highlighting personal COVID-19 vaccination experiences.
• Influenza Vaccine Information for Health Professionals
  Resources for health professionals on influenza vaccine administration, storage and handling, submitting and exchanging data with MIIC and more.

Data and trends

• Situation Update for COVID-19
  Includes cases associated with specific settings, vaccine data, links to CDC community levels, wastewater surveillance data, and more.
• Viral Respiratory Illness in Minnesota
  Charts showing weekly rates of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV hospitalizations in Minnesota by season, age, and race and ethnicity.
• CDC: Respiratory Virus Activity Levels
  Provides an update on how COVID-19, influenza, and RSV may be spreading nationally and in each state.
• CDC: Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel
  Links to data such as county-level respiratory illness activity levels, hospitalizations and deaths, emergency department visits, and vaccine trends.
• University of Minnesota: MN Wastewater Surveillance Study
  Charts showing COVID-19 virus levels in wastewater statewide, by region, and by participating community.
• CDC: COVID Data Tracker
  Maps, charts, and data on multiple measures of COVID-19 activity nationally and by state.