MN Department of Health

Information for Safe Family Gatherings

Plan ahead

Take steps to lower the risk of COVID-19

• If you are unvaccinated, limit chances for contact with someone with COVID-19. Two weeks prior to your gathering, avoid people who do not live with you and settings where you cannot stay at least 6 feet away from others. Avoid bars, restaurants, or carpools where people do not consistently wear a mask.
• Wear a well-fitting mask when you are inside places other than your home.
• Wear a well-fitting mask at outdoor events where you cannot stay at least 6 feet away from others. See CDC: Improve How Your Mask Protects You (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/yourhealth/effective-masks.html).
• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly and ask people coming into your home to do the same.
• Stay at least 6 feet from others who live outside your household, whenever you can.

Create a safe setting

Create a safe setting for visitors

• Before anyone enters your home, ask if they have had a fever, cough, body aches, fatigue, runny nose, or other symptoms of COVID-19. People with symptoms should stay home and away from all others. They should be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
• Before anyone enters your home, ask if they have recently been near someone with COVID-19. People who have spent time near a person with COVID-19 should stay home and away from others. They should be tested five to seven days after the contact.
• Before bringing someone who needs long-term care into your home, get yourself and your household members tested for COVID-19.
•  Before anyone enters your home, especially someone at-risk for more severe illness, wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose completely.
• Before anyone enters your car, wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose completely. If people staying with you can also wear a mask, ask them to do so as well.
• Before anyone enters your home, set up your house so people can stay 6 feet apart from others. See Indoor Air Considerations: COVID-19 (www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/indoorair.html). LONG – TERM CARE GUIDANCE FOR OUTINGS.
•  For current recommendations about creating a safe space for visitors, see Protect Yourself & Others: COVID-19 (www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/prevention.html).

Contact the nursing home or assisted living-type facility

Nursing homes and assisted living-type facilities follow strict regulations and guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their buildings. Before taking someone out of nursing homes or assisted living-type facilities, make sure you understand the current guidelines.

Vaccination for COVID-19 is ongoing. We look forward to the day when more restrictions can be removed.

April 2^nd, 2021

Dear Family and Friends,

This week, Skyview Senior Living had 1 staff members test positive for COVID-19 and NO tenants. Should any remaining test results come back positive, we would notify family, residents and staff promptly. Due to the positive test result, Skyview Senior Living must restrict all visitation except compassionate caregivers and essential caregivers at this time. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

MDH published guidelines for resident outings this week. Some highlights of the guidance include not quarantining residents who leave our care center for less than 24 hours unless exposed to positive case of COVID-19 or not adhering to infection control practices. This does require us to individually identify any risks and quarantine per assessment. Vaccinated residents can have close contact with persons they are visiting. Masking of all persons is required throughout the visit. The CDC Continues to recommend small gatherings as risk increases for large gatherings but reminds everyone that good infection control practices should occur both small and large gatherings. Please see our website for updated guidance on safe family gatherings from MDH. (Long-term Care Guidance for Outings – Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us))

As of this week, 80 percent of seniors have gotten at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine as well as 38 percent of residents aged 50 to 64. More than 1 million Minnesotans are now fully vaccinated and 1.66 million, or 38 percent have gotten at least one shot. On Tuesday, March 30^th, Minnesota expanded vaccine eligibility to all Minnesotans ages 16 and up. Although vaccinations are ramping up, Minnesota’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate has been increasing, and as of the latest data, it is at 5.3%, putting the state in the “caution” status.

We encourage you to do your part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by connecting with your primary health care provider or using the Vaccine Locator map (Vaccine Locations / COVID-19 Updates and Information – State of Minnesota (mn.gov)) to find a vaccine appointment near you.  Please continue to wear face masks, social distancing, wash your hands often and get tested if you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive or are experiencing COVID symptoms.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Morris Health Services & @Skyview Senior Living) or our website (www.mhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paula at 320-589-7900, if you have any questions or concerns.

April 2^nd, 2021

Dear Resident:

This week, WWV had 1 staff member test positive for COVID-19 and NO residents. Therefore, WWV must continue to restrict indoor visitation except compassionate caregivers and essential caregivers at this time. However, outdoor visits are allowed. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

MDH published guidelines for resident outings this week. Some highlights of the guidance include not quarantining residents who leave our care center for less than 24 hours unless exposed to positive case of COVID-19 or not adhering to infection control practices. Residents and families are still required to mask during these visits.  This does require us to individually identify any risks and quarantine per assessment. Vaccinated residents can have close contact with persons they are visiting. The CDC Continues to recommend small gatherings as risk increases for large gatherings but reminds everyone that good infection control practices should occur both small and large gatherings. Please see our website for updated guidance on safe family gatherings from MDH. (Long-term Care Guidance for Outings – Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us))

As of this week, 80 percent of seniors have gotten at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine as well as 38 percent of residents aged 50 to 64. More than 1 million Minnesotans are now fully vaccinated and 1.66 million, or 38 percent have gotten at least one shot. On Tuesday, March 30^th, Minnesota expanded vaccine eligibility to all Minnesotans ages 16 and up. Although vaccinations are ramping up, Minnesota’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate has been increasing, and as of the latest data, it is at 5.3%, putting the state in the “caution” status.

We encourage you to do your part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by connecting with your primary health care provider or using the Vaccine Locator map (Vaccine Locations / COVID-19 Updates and Information – State of Minnesota (mn.gov)) to find a vaccine appointment near you.  Please continue to wear face masks, social distancing, wash your hands often and get tested if you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive or are experiencing COVID symptoms.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Morris Health Services & @Skyview Senior Living) or our website (www.mhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paula at 320-589-7900, if you have any questions or concerns.

3/31/21

Dear Resident –

Good afternoon, we were just notified that one staff at West Village tested positive for COVID-19 on 3/26/21.  This staff has not worked in the facility while contagious, so no additional residents will need to be quarantined.  Unfortunately, as a result indoor visits will no longer be allowed except for compassionate care and essential care visits.  Staff and residents were tested were yesterday; we are waiting for results and we will continue to test on Tuesdays.

We continue to follow CDC, CMS and MDH regulations.  We will update you with any additional cases and the results of testing from this week. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I can be reached at 320-589-7900.  Thank you and Happy Easter!

Sincerely,

Paula Henrickson

Paula Henrickson, Administrator

We were just notified that a staff member at Skyview Senior Living tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. Therefore, the residents who were in contact with this staff person will be quarantined for 14 days.  Unfortunately, as a result, indoor visits will no longer be allowed except for compassionate care and essential care visits at both Skyview Court and Plaza.  Staff and residents will be tested today and again next week.

March 26^th, 2021

This past weekend we had a staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19 at West Wind Village. Our top priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy. Should any remaining test results come back positive, we would notify family, residents and staff promptly. We will be testing of all staff and residents again on 3/30/2021. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Unfortunately under the new CMS and MDH guidelines, WWV must restrict all visitation except compassionate caregivers and essential caregivers at this time. Residents that were directly exposed will continue to quarantine until we have gone 14 days with no new cases of COVID-19 cases in our care center.  Under the new guidelines; if this week’s entire site testing results in all negative COVID tests, we can reopen to visitation for residents who are no longer required quarantine.

This week marks a new milestone for Minnesota. Over 2 million vaccine doses have now been administered! Another milestone this week; Governor Walz announced Thursday morning that all Minnesotans ages 16 and up will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by March 30^th! We encourage you to connect with your primary health care provider or use the Vaccine Locator map (Vaccine Locations / COVID-19 Updates and Information – State of Minnesota (mn.gov)) to find a vaccine appointment near you. Your employer may also be reaching out with information about vaccination opportunities.

March 19^th, 2021

Morris Health Services is now testing monthly due to county positivity. We will continue to test residents and employees if they show signs or symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Morris Health Services continues to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

• West Wind Village – WWV is open to indoor visits. WWV will continue essential caregiver visits. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-3pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test. Please contact Katlyn at 320-589-7960 for more information. 

• Skyview Senior Living – All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-4pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test prior to their visit. Visits can we scheduled with Sophie at 320-589-4582.

We are very excited to share the news that state and federal agencies that previously limited visitation in our setting have now issued guidance on how we can relax visitation restrictions and continue to protect the health of our residents and staff. As a result, we can safely open our doors to visitors. Additionally, those residents who are fully vaccinated will be able to come and go without the need to quarantine upon return and may receive a visitor in their private room.

If a resident is fully vaccinated, they can now choose to have close contact (including touch) with their visitor while wearing a well-fitting face mask and performing proper hand-hygiene before and after. Visitors are still required to physically distance from other residents and staff throughout our care center and not socialize in hallways or common areas.

Please note that screening is still required of all visitors and employees but you will see changes in how this is performed.  We ask that you please complete the screening at the entrance to our building which will require a temperature check and attestation of 2-3 questions.

While visitation is continuing to expand under the federal and state changes, there are still a few distinct exceptions: 

• No indoor visits are allowed for unvaccinated residents if our county positivity rate is >10% or in the “red zone.”
• No indoor visits are allowed for residents with a confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions.
• No indoor visits are allowed for residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine.

We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you made to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community and your patience as we continue to navigate the altering guidelines imposed by the state and federal agencies. Our entire team looks forward to seeing you again! Family, friends and volunteers are core to what makes our community so special.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Morris Health Services & @Skyview Senior Living) or our website (www.mhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paula at 320-589-7900, if you have any questions or concerns.

March 5^th, 2021

Morris Health Services is now testing monthly due to county positivity. We will continue to test residents and employees if they show signs or symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Morris Health Services continues to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

• West Wind Village – WWV is open to indoor visits. WWV will continue essential caregiver visits. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-3pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test. Please contact Katlyn at 320-589-7960 for more information. 

• Skyview Senior Living – All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-4pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test prior to their visit. Visits can we scheduled with Sophie at 320-589-4582.

This Saturday, March 6^th, marks one year since Minnesota confirmed its first case of COVID-19. The state has since recorded 485,230 total confirmed or probable cases. Now, more than 52% of Minnesotans 65 and older have received at least one dose of either COVID vaccine. This week, Governor Tim Walz stated Minnesota will expand vaccination eligibility when 70% of that population gets their first dose. Vaccine eligibility would expand to people with high-risk health conditions and targeted essential workers. Younger groups and the general public would follow in the late spring and summer.

Johnson & Johnson has now received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 vaccine, the Janssen Ad-Vac. The J&J vaccine is different than its Moderna and Pfizer 2-dose vaccine counterparts in two ways. First, the J&J vaccine is a one-shot vaccine, not a two-dose vaccine. Second, the J&J vaccine uses a more common vaccine technology and does not utilize the mRNA vaccine delivery method. The vaccine is published as 85% effective 28 days post vaccination. Side effects listed for this vaccine are similar to those listed for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Please contact Stevens Community Medical Center at 320-589-1313 to arrange for testing.  Currently, the Armory in Morris is still testing as well and appointments can be made at their website:  https://mncovidtestingappt.as.me/schedule.php. 

Please follow our Facebook page (@Morris Health Services & @Skyview Senior Living) or our website (www.mhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paula at 320-589-7900, if you have any questions or concerns.

February 26, 2021

Morris Health Services tested staff for COVID-19 at West Wind Village and Skyview Senior Living this week. The majority of tests results are back; you will be notified if there are any positive cases. Morris Health Services continues to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

• West Wind Village –There were NO positive cases of COVID-19 this week. WWV is open to indoor visits. WWV will continue essential caregiver visits. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-3pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test. Please contact Katlyn at 320-589-7960 for more information. 

• Skyview Senior Living – There were NO positive cases of COVID-19 this week. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-4pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test prior to their visit. Visits can we scheduled with Sophie at 320-589-4582.

We continue to receive questions on how and when family and friends will receive their vaccine. Health officials have created a Vaccine Connector tool found at https://vaccineconnector.mn.gov/. This tool helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. After you fill out a simple form, the Vaccine Connector will alert you when you are eligible to receive a vaccine, connect you to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment, and notify you if there are vaccine opportunities in your area.

It is not necessary to sign up if: 

• You have already received your COVID-19 vaccine.
• You previously registered for the COVID-19 Vaccine Pilot Program or the COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program. You’re already on the Vaccine Connector list, and there is no need to re-submit your information.  
• You completed the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Child Care survey. You’re already on the Vaccine Connector list, and there is no need to re-submit your information. 
• You completed the Health Care Connection Form, you do not need to re-submit your information. The Minnesota Department of Health will work with health systems and local public health agencies to notify you about when and where you can get vaccinated. 

We look forward to the day we can throw our doors wide open to the community. Until then, there are multiple ways residents in our setting can interact with one another and with their loved ones. We have resumed socially distanced communal dining and small group activities. We are currently able to offer indoor visits, virtual visits, essential caregiver visits, and compassionate care visits. We do ask that visitors are tested prior to entering our care center. Due to cost, we will no longer be able to test essential caregivers, compassionate caregivers or visitors in the care centers. Please contact Stevens Community Medical Center at 320-589-1313 to arrange for testing.  Currently, the Armory in Morris is still testing as well and appointments can be made at their website:  https://mncovidtestingappt.as.me/schedule.php.  As of March, we will be testing staff and visitors monthly as long as Stevens County remains in the green zone or unless MDH guidance changes.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Morris Health Services & @Skyview Senior Living) or our website (www.mhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paula at 320-589-7900, if you have any questions or concerns.

February 19, 2021

Morris Health Services tested staff for COVID-19 at West Wind Village and Skyview Senior Living this week. The majority of tests results are back; you will be notified if there are any positive cases. Morris Health Services continues to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

• West Wind Village –There were NO positive cases of COVID-19 this week. WWV is open to indoor visits. WWV will continue essential caregiver visits. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-3pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test. Please contact Katlyn at 320-589-7960 for more information. 

• Skyview Senior Living – There were NO positive cases of COVID-19 this week. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance Monday-Friday (8am-4pm) and visitors will be required to have a negative COVID test prior to their visit. Visits can we scheduled with Sophie at 320-589-4582.

Currently, vaccines are being distributed to adults 65 and older, educators, school staff, child care workers, health care workers, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. We have received many calls requesting information about vaccinations. If you qualify in one of the above categories, please check the state’s online vaccine locations map (https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp) or contact your health care provider about appointment availability. Our staff and residents continue to have opportunities for on-site vaccinations through our pharmacy partnership. West Wind Village will host their 3^rd clinic on February 23^rd. Horizon Public Health will not be hosting a third vaccination clinic at Skyview Senior Living.

Minnesota continues to see new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as MN lessons the restrictions in public areas.  The numbers of cases and attributable deaths are declining as vaccinations roll out. State and local health officials continue to stress social distancing, mask use, and frequent hand washing or sanitizing.

With vaccinations becoming more prevalent, and knowledge that vaccinations are providing a positive impact in reduction of active outbreaks; it is frustrating that use of PPE and visitation constraints must continue within our care centers.  Until the CDC and MDH have supporting science to assure the spread of COVID-19 is reduced with vaccinations, we are required to maintain the same infection control protocol.  

Please follow our Facebook page (@Morris Health Services & @Skyview Senior Living) or our website (www.mhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paula at 320-589-7900, if you have any questions or concerns.