The Minnesota Department of Health is urging all Winona students to get a COVID-19 test before Thanksgiving. Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the State of Minnesota and the County of Winona, it is likely that most students have been exposed to COVID-19 at some point in the past month. Thus, it is critical that students are tested to learn if they are asymptomatic carriers before returning home to their families to avoid transmitting the virus.
Students can easily get a COVID-19 test.
- Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is hosting a mass COVID-19 testing for students in the gymnasium Monday, Nov. 16, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and again Sunday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon. Students will perform the saliva-based test on site and leave the sample with the university, which will ship the test to the lab in Minnesota. Results should be returned in 22-26 hours. We will employ significant COVID-19 protocols to ensure social distancing is observed throughout the testing process.
- The City of Winona is host to a no barrier, free regional testing site at the Winona Mall, 1213 Gilmore Ave. Testing is located in the back of the Winona Mall near the DMV (southwest corner), facing Highway 61. The entrance is on the outside of the mall. Hours are Wednesday – Friday, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Schedule an appointment with Vault Health. At this site, you won’t need to show identification; tests are free; and insurance is not required.
While awaiting test results, you do not have to quarantine if you do not have symptoms or have not been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. If you do have symptoms or a known exposure to COVID-19, you should quarantine.
If your test result is positive, this means you currently have COVID-19 and should isolate from others. You must contact the Jay Johnson Wellness Center, 507-457-1492, and they will provide you with important health information about how to keep you, your family, and the community safe.