• January 14, 2022

    CentraCare Pauses Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing
    Beginning Friday, Jan. 14, CentraCare and Carris Health will be pausing COVID-19 testing at curbside, clinic, emergency department and urgent care sites for community members who are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms of COVID-19. This change comes about as a result of high demand for COVID-19 testing and low quantities of testing supplies and staffing resources. CentraCare is not alone in making this difficult decision as other health care organizations across the state are adjusting to this situation as well.
    This pause on asymptomatic testing will include:
    • Back to school testing
    • Return to work testing
    • Daycare testing
    • Pre-travel and event testing
    • COVID-19 confirmation tests
    We encourage affected community members to utilize an at-home COVID-19 test or find a community testing site. Testing guidelines specific to schools can be found at the Minnesota Department of Health website.
     
    We will continue to provide testing to people who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
    For people who have a known exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, we encourage them to follow MDH quarantine guidelines and practice strict mask wearing for the entire 10 days. If symptoms develop, a test can be scheduled.
     
    Thank you for your understanding as we work to prioritize our testing resources for when medically necessary and to meet the needs of our highest risk groups while doing so in the most careful and equitable manner.
     
    We are hopeful this pause in testing will be temporary and ask for your continued help in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, getting vaccinated, socially distancing and washing your hands.

Local COVID-19 Testing Options

Spring 2021: COVID-19 Testing

  • March 2021

    The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recommends that children and teens who spend time near people outside their immediate household get tested every two weeks through the end of the school year. For kids involved in any extracurricular activities or sports, MDH recommends getting tested every week. This will help limit the spread so we can keep our schools and sports open!

    Variants of COVID-19, like B.1.1.7, are a new version of the virus and often more contagious. There is also concern that the B.1.1.7 variant may make people sicker than usual. The B.1.1.7 variant has spread to more than a dozen counties across the state. Many of the cases are among people who attend school and participate in youth sports. Cases have also occurred in child care centers, gyms and fitness centers, and other social settings.

    Testing is not available to students at school. There are many options to get tested, depending on your needs, and each option is available to you at no cost. You can even schedule appointments for the whole family at the same time.

    You can visit a community testing site, order an at-home test, or get tested through your regular health care provider. If someone in your family prefers to speak in another language besides English, in-person or language line assistance is available. Test sites are doing everything they can to make sure sites are safe and comfortable for everyone.

    Visit Getting Tested for COVID-19 or contact your health care provider to schedule an appointment. 

    There are COVID-19 community testing sites across Minnesota, in addition to local hospitals and clinics.

    You can also use the COVID-19 test at home program.

COVID-19 Testing Events

Last Modified on January 14, 2022