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We’ve made a breakthrough in testing for COVID-19

Wednesday, April 22, 2020





























Rep. Marquart



































Dear Neighbors,



I’m extremely pleased to share breaking news from the Capitol that Minnesota has made a breakthrough that will allow us to lead the nation, and potentially the world, in testing for COVID-19. This milestone is the result of teamwork and collaboration between the Legislature, Governor Walz, private sector leaders like the Mayo Clinic, public research institutions like the University of Minnesota, and the people of Minnesota. 



We’ve now launched a statewide testing strategy to test all symptomatic people, isolate confirmed cases, and expand public health surveillance tools. By building capacity to test as many as 20,000 Minnesotans per day, this increased testing and tracing will help improve control of this pandemic and support the safe re-opening of society.



You can watch a video replay of the announcement on the Governor’s YouTube channel.



testing breakthrough



I’d also like to share some information for small business assistance:



The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has a one-page summary of current programs, with links for where to go for more info on each (some programs have exhausted available funds -- the respective websites will let you know): 



https://mn.gov/deed/assets/emergency-financial-assistance-small-businesses-non-profit-acc_tcm1045-428518.pdf.



DEED also has a slightly more detailed guide that helps small businesses figure out how to proceed: 



https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/employers/small-business-help



Lastly, DEED has a COVID-19 FAQs for businesses:



https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/employers/employer-faqs 



 



Please contact my office if I can be of assistance in navigating programs that help small businesses, unemployed workers, and families impacted by COVID-19. Send an email to rep.paul.marquart@house.mn or leave me a voicemail by calling 1-800-551-5520. The Legislature continues to work in partnership with Governor Walz and his administration to re-open Minnesota in a way that is safe and doesn’t lead to loss of life.



Thank you for everything you are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The best place to get fast and accurate information about the pandemic is www.mn.gov/covid19



 



Sincerely,



Paul Marquart

State Representative 








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