Health Recommendations:
The Minnesota Department of Health is giving this guidance: “Most cases of COVID-19 are mild with symptoms like fever and coughing. If you have symptoms and can manage them at home, you don’t need to seek health care or be tested for COVID-19. If your symptoms worsen, call your health care provider before seeking care in-person. This gets you the care you need without putting others at risk of exposure. If you are sick with respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) stay home for at least 7 days, and for 3 days with no fever or improvement of other symptoms, whichever is longer.
If you know you were exposed to COVID-19 and feel healthy, stay home for 14 days. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.”
If the public is not part of one of the three prioritized testing groups (hospitalized patients, healthcare workers, and those living in congregate living facilities), typically, a diagnosis of COVID-19 will not affect their recommendations for care (to stay home and out of public spaces as much as possible). There is no medication for treatment of COVID-19, so unless symptoms worsen and healthcare provider recommends a visit, there is no need for testing at this time.
Carlton County Updates:
Carlton County is still open for business, but a few access changes. With efforts to follow the community mitigations strategies recommended by MDH, the County is taking some precautions as follows:
- In general, please limit your visits to any County building to essential services/transactions only. Please do not enter County buildings if you have signs of respiratory illness – our intent during this time is to be proactive in hopes to slow the spread of COVID-19, as well as other illnesses that are circulating in the community, like influenza. The public is always welcome to call before they visit in-person.
- Beginning Wednesday, March 18, access to the Carlton County Extension Building on Chestnut Street in Carlton and the Carlton County Transportation Building will be closed to the public until further notice. Please call either building with essential service requests.
- Access to the Carlton County Motor Vehicle Registration Office at the Community Services Building in Cloquet will be closed to the public until Monday, March 23rd in order for space modifications to take place that will comply with the social distancing recommendations from MDH. Longer than normal wait times are anticipated for service.
- Staff in buildings that are still open to the public are practicing social distancing (6 feet apart), and proper personal hygiene before services are provided. Beginning March 19th, custodial staff will adjust their cleaning routine to begin at 9:00 am with focus on repeated cleaning of the higher trafficked spaces and frequently touched areas in Carlton County buildings.
- The Carlton County Commissioners will be discussing additional precautions at the board meeting on Monday, March 23rd. Service to the public may look a bit different during the next few weeks, and possibly months, but the County will attempt to do their best to take care of the public’s needs through different avenues of service (telephone/tele-health vs. in person, email, etc.).
Carlton County Public Health and Human Services is continuing to recommend that anyone with general health-related questions about COVID-19 call MDH’s hotline (7am-7pm): 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903.
Continue to access the following websites for information:
(State) Minnesota Department of Health - MDH: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
(National) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
(International) World Health Organization - WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Press releases will continue to be added to Carlton County’s website homepage (www.co.carlton.mn.us), under the Newsflash Section. They will also be added to Carlton County’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/CarltonCountyMN/), along with other community resources.