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.
- CHWs are approved to receive reimbursement for telehealth services. (Download Provider Manual)
- CHWs were identified as ‘Essential, Critical Infrastructure but the Federal Government. (Download Offical Memo)
Resources in Minnesota
Protect Yourself & Others: COVID-19
Recommendations for Wearing Masks
What to do if you have COVID-19 (PDF)
Minnesota COVID-19 Situation Updates:
Sign up for COVID-19 email updates at link above
Information on getting tested for COVID-19 in Minnesota
Information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota
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 Stories of Community Outreach and Partnership
Food Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Vax to School initiative program videos:
- Vax to school – Teachers
- Vax to school – Students
- Vax to school – MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann
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
- Vaccine is protection videos:
- When can I return to work after being sick with COVID-19? – Arabic
- When can I return to work if someone living with me is sick with COVID-19? – Arabic
- Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine – Spanish
- Frequently asked question about the COVID-19 vaccine – Lao
- Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine – Karen
- Community spread – Arabic
- Community spread – Amharic
- What to expect: Visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site – Nepali
- What to expect: Visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site – Chinese
- What to expect: Visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site – Lao
- What to expect: Visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site – Somali
- What to expect: Visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site – Spanish
- What to expect: Visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site – Hmong
- How Vaccines are Made FAQ – Hindi
- How Vaccines are Made FAQ – French
- How Vaccines are Made FAQ – Arabic
- Act Quickly to Receive COVID-19 Medications – Hmong
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Vietnamese
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Hmong
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Lao
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Swahili
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Oromo
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Karen
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Amharic
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Somali
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Spanish
- What to Expect Getting your COVID-19 Vaccine – Audio Described English
CHWs as Critical Infrastructure
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID-19 Response, provided 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
Role of CHWs in COVID-19 Vaccination guide by the WHO
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
COVID-19 FAQ resources in 32 languages