St. Cloud, Minn. – Due to a significant increase in demand for COVID-19 testing and a low supply of testing supplies and staff, CentraCare is making changes to COVID-19 testing.
Beginning Friday, Jan. 14, CentraCare and Carris Health will be pausing COVID-19 testing at curbside, clinic, emergency department and urgent care sites for community members who are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms of COVID-19. CentraCare is not alone in making this difficult decision as other health care organizations across the state are making this adjustment as well.
This pause on asymptomatic testing will include:
Back to school testing
Return to work testing
Daycare testing
Pre-travel and event testing
COVID-19 confirmation tests
“Worried well” repeat testers
We encourage affected community members to utilize an at-home COVID-19 test or find a community testing site.
For people who have a known exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, we encourage them to follow the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) quarantine guidelines and practice strict mask wearing for the entire 10 days. If symptoms develop, a test can be scheduled.
Who will still be eligible for a test at CentraCare/Carris Health:
People who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
Long-term care testing
Pre-procedure testing
CentraCare will prioritize our testing resources for when medically necessary and to meet the needs of our highest risk groups, doing so in the most careful and equitable manner.
We are hopeful this pause in testing will be temporary and ask for your continued help in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, getting vaccinated, socially distancing and washing your hands.
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