Community Health Workers & COVID-19

Look to this page for resources and news about how Community Health Workers are helping the fight against the coronavirus.

Resources in Minnesota

About COVID-19

Protect Yourself & Others: COVID-19

Recommendations for Wearing Masks

What to do if you have COVID-19 (PDF)

Minnesota COVID-19 Dashboard

Minnesota COVID-19 Situation Updates:

Sign up for COVID-19 email updates at link above

Information on getting tested for COVID-19 in Minnesota

Find a testing site near you

Order you Free COVID-19 at home test kits  

About COVID-19 Vaccine

Information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota 

COVID-19 Vaccine Connector

MDH CHW COVID Safety Tips for CHWs

It’s still okay to wear a mask, even if you are vaccinated (PDF)

What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 (PDF)

COVID-19 Medication Options

COVID-19 Stories of Community Outreach and Partnership

Food Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Vax to School initiative program videos:

For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Refugee and immigrant COVID-19 hotline 651-318-0989, Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. Callers can also get information in any language on basic needs, distance learning support, employment, financial needs and the process towards citizenship.

African American Leadership Forum and Phyllis Wheatly Community Center have partnered to create the MN Black Community COVID-19 Hotline. Call 612-254-1145 for information about testing and resources for food security, physical and mental health, employment, housing, childcare, legal rights, and other issues stemming from the pandemic.

Translated videos on COVID-19

COVID-19 Community Coordinators, and COVID-19 Diverse Media Messengers, who are working with the Minnesota Department of Health,  have captured testimonial videos at vaccine clinics.

Video 1

English – African Community Testimonial: Bashir

Somali – African Community Testimonial: Bashir

Video 2

English- African Community Testimony: Umulkher a 13 year old teen speaking

Video 3

English – African Community Testimonial: Quraysho

Somali- African Community Testimonial: Quraysho

CHWs as Critical Infrastructure

Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID-19 Responseprovided by the Community-Based Workforce Alliance

CHWs are approved to receive reimbursement for telehealth services, retroactive until March 19, 2020. Here is the link to the updated provider manual.

CHW Roles in Pandemic compiled at the CHW Supervisor Round Table and the CHW Circle meetings in April 2020.

CHWs are “Essential, Critical Infrastructure” Workers in US COVID19 Emergency Response: Read the March 19, 2020 guidance to states from the US Dept of Homeland Security-CHWs as Essential-Critical-Infrastructure-Workers 3 19 2020

To Strengthen The Public Health Response To COVID-19, We Need Community Health Workers. Health Affairs. May 6,2020.

CHWs and COVID19 RESPONSE: CHWS and pandemic preparedness from Frontiers in Public Health.

Global and Local Community Health Workers as a Lifeline for Communities Facing Inequities in the Midst of COVID-19 and Beyond.  White Paper: Community Health Workers and COVID-19 Writing Group. April 2020

Three Workforce Strategies to help COVID Affected Communities, Health. Health Affairs, May 9, 2020.

Links and Education Materials

HHS We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign Website, information available in multiple languages

Role of CHWs in COVID-19 Vaccination guide by the WHO

Guidance from the CDC on how to continue to protect yourself and others once you are fully vaccinated 

CDC Resources on Community-Based Organizations: Educating Communities on the Importance of COVID-19 Vaccines 

National Association of Community Health Workers COVID 19 Resources 

Wellshare International COVID 19 page with resources in several languages.

TPT Public Television COVID 19 Resources in Several Languages

Center for Disease Control and Prevention COVID 19

FDA Multi Lingual COVID 19 Resources

CDC Resources for Community Health Workers, Community Health Representative, and Promotores de la Salud 

COVID-19 FAQ resources in 32 languages