Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

If you develop symptoms AND have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or if you have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19 contact your healthcare professional to see if you should be tested.

This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

While the city is closely monitoring the progression of the virus and is planning for the potential spread, we are asking everyone to concentrate their efforts on PREVENTION. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. 

Prevention measures that are accessible to almost everyone and should be practiced regularly include:

• Proper Hand Washing (If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol)
• Covering your cough
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Avoiding close contact with anyone who is sick (maintaining a minimum distance of 6 feet)
• Staying home when you are sick
• Regularly Cleaning and Disinfecting Frequently Touched Objects and Surfaces
• Following the *CDC’s Guidance for Travel

During this time of uncertainty, please follow CDC guidance regarding practicing responsible social distancing and personal prevention measures as well as the following recommendations for People at Serious Risk for COVID-19:

If you are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, you should:

• Stock up on supplies.
• Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
• When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
• Avoid crowds as much as possible.
• During a COVID-19 outbreak in the community, stay home as much as possible.

Blaine Elections, in cooperation with Anoka County Elections and the Secretary of State’s Office, will be closely monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health as we prepare for the August Primary and November General elections. Upcoming primaries throughout the country will also assist in gauging impacts to their elections as a result of COVID-19 to identify any precautionary measures to help protect against the possible spread of the virus at polling locations that could include making available hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to voters at polling locations and adherence by election officials of the CDC guidelines for election workers at polling locations. Blaine Elections will be creating concrete contingency plans as needs are identified and preparing more resources as time progresses and will be updating information as the situation changes.

For more information about Elections, please visit BlaineMN.gov/Elections.

Governor Tim Walz has closed all Minnesota public and charter schools for the remainder of the school year.

Parents and caregivers with school and childcare questions should call 651-297-1304.

The CDC has provided the following interim guidance intended to help administrators of public and private childcare programs and K-12 schools prevent the spread of COVID-19 among students and staff. Administrators are individuals who oversee the daily operations of childcare programs and K-12 schools, and may include positions like childcare program directors, school district superintendents, principals, and assistant principals.

• Pandemic Flu Checklist: K-12 School Administrators
• Pandemic Flu Checklist: Childcare Program Administrators
• Schools and Childcare Programs
• Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
• Interim Guidance for Administrators
• FAQs for Administrators

The CDC has provided the following interim guidance intended for organizers and staff responsible for planning mass gatherings or large community events in the United States. A mass gathering is a planned or spontaneous event with a large number of people in attendance that could strain the planning and response resources of the community hosting the event, such as concerts, festivals, conferences, worship services, and sporting events.

• Pandemic Flu Checklist: Event Planners
• Pandemic Flu Checklist: Workplace Administrators
• Interim Guidance for Event Planners
• Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations

The CDC has provided the following interim guidance is to help community- and faith-based organizations (CFBOs), whose members may include vulnerable populations, plan for community transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages CFBOs to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in their local communities.

• Checklist for Community and Faith Leaders
• Interim Guidance for Faith-Based Organizations
• Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations

If you are experiencing cough, fever, or shortness of breath and have concern that this might be COVID-19, please call your Primary Care Provider for a risk assessment. If your provider establishes the need for COVID-19 testing, they will coordinate directly with the state department of health.

If you do not have a primary care provider, please call the state at: 

MDH - 651-201-3920

Outbreaks involving COVID-19 continue to evolve quickly. It is important that you stay informed of new information as it becomes available. The links to MDH and the CDC will remain active on this page and any new information available to the city will be shared here.

To receive emergency updates, please subscribe to Blaine’s Emergency Notification System.

The following are local resources provided by outside agencies relating to COVID-19:

• MN Department of Health (MDH)
• Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC)
• Anoka County Public Health
• Ramsey County Public Health

Where can I find answers to questions I have about COVID-19? 

The CDC has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 which are broken down into the following categories:

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 Basics
• How It Spreads
• How to Protect Yourself
• Symptoms & Testing
• Healthcare Professionals and Health Departments
• What CDC is Doing
• COVID-19 and Animals

The following explanation of health monitoring and movement terms has been provided by the CDC.

Self Observation

Self observation means people should remain alert for subjective fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. If they feel feverish or develop cough or difficulty breathing during the self-observation period, they should take their temperature, self isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a healthcare provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.

Self Monitoring

Self monitoring means people should monitor themselves for fever by taking their temperatures twice a day and remain alert for cough or difficulty breathing. If they feel feverish or develop measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during the self-monitoring period, they should self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a healthcare provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.

Self Monitoring with Delegated Supervision

Self monitoring with delegated supervision means, for certain occupational groups (e.g., some healthcare or laboratory personnel, airline crew members), self-monitoring with oversight by the appropriate occupational health or infection control program in coordination with the health department of jurisdiction. The occupational health or infection control personnel for the employing organization should establish points of contact between the organization, the self monitoring personnel, and the local or state health departments with jurisdiction for the location where personnel will be during the self monitoring period. This communication should result in agreement on a plan for medical evaluation of personnel who develop fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during the self monitoring period. The plan should include instructions for notifying occupational health and the local public health authority, and transportation arrangements to a pre-designated hospital, if medically necessary, with advance notice if fever, cough, or difficulty breathing occur. The supervising organization should remain in contact with personnel through the self monitoring period to oversee self monitoring activities.

Self Monitoring with Public Health Supervision

Self monitoring with public health supervision means public health authorities assume the responsibility for oversight of self-monitoring for certain groups of people. The ability of jurisdictions to initiate or provide continued oversight will depend on other competing priorities (e.g., contact tracing, implementation of community mitigation strategies). Depending on local priorities, CDC recommends that health departments consider establishing initial communication with these people, provide a plan for self-monitoring and clear instructions for notifying the health department before the person seeks health care if they develop fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. As resources allow, health authorities may also check in intermittently with these people over the course of the self-monitoring period. If travelers for whom public health supervision is recommended are identified at a US port of entry, CDC will notify state and territorial health departments with jurisdiction for the travelers’ final destinations.

Active Monitoring

Active monitoring means that the state or local public health authority assumes responsibility for establishing regular communication with potentially exposed people to assess for the presence of fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. For people with high-risk exposures, CDC recommends this communication occurs at least once each day. The mode of communication can be determined by the state or local public health authority and may include telephone calls or any electronic or internet-based means of communication.

Self Monitoring

Self monitoring without supervision means people monitor themselves for symptoms of illness by taking their temperature twice a day and remaining alert for other symptoms. If symptoms develop, they should self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a healthcare provider or the health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed. These people are not under supervision by a public health authority.

Isolation

Isolation means the separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to prevent spread of the communicable disease. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or compelled by federal, state, or local public health order.

Quarantine

Quarantine in general means the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease.

Social Distancing

Social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately six feet or two meters) from others when possible.

For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html