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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969
Preventing COVID-19 spread at long-term care facilities
Hennepin County is receiving funding to provide increased COVID-19 testing, follow-up services, and education to long-term care facilities.
Long-term care facilities currently account for 83% of COVID-19 deaths in Hennepin County. These facilities are at high risk due to congregate living settings, underlying chronic conditions among residents, and challenges implementing infection control.
The county will use $99,985 from the National Association of County and City Health Officials to:
- Develop a tool kit to assist facilities with infection prevention and control
- Create a task force of community health workers, public health nurses, and others to provide outreach, planning support, assessment and training, swabbing, and cultural support
- Train additional public health staff to provide assessment and education
- Continue to collaborate with regional and state-wide workgroups
CARES Act funding
Mitigating COVID-19 spread at emergency shelters
The board allocated $3.2 million to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness.
Emergency shelters will use funding to follow public health guidelines, such as separate sleeping spaces with partitions, private restrooms and modifying ventilation systems.
Harbor Light Center and Higher Ground shelters will receive $1.2 million. The board designated an additional $2 million in a general fund for shelters.
Providing emergency relief for human services organizations
The board allocated an additional $2.5 million to support non-profit and community organizations providing expanded safety net services due to COVID-19.
Hennepin County has already distributed $2 million to the network of human services providers for facility adaptations, technology, supplies and personal protective equipment needed to safely provide services.
2020 general election
Additional resources for absentee voting
The board allocated $1 million for mailing absentee ballots and hiring additional seasonal staff to support absentee voting in the general election.
Additional resources are needed to support voting by mail in the 2020 election – a key strategy in reducing COVID-19 risk to voters and election workers.
Additional CARES Act funding
The board also accepted $1.2 million of CARES Act funding from the state to support the election, the majority of which Hennepin County will pass along to cities.
Current and archival board meetings, agendas and minutes are available at hennepin.us/boardmeetings.
Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at hennepin.us/news.
Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at hennepin.us/stories.
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