COVID-19 testing: frequently asked questions
Updated: 12/10/20
Who should get tested?
You should get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms or if you think you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Being close generally means being less than 6 feet from someone with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more throughout a 24-hour period. However, even shorter times and longer distances can spread the virus.
How much does it cost to get tested for COVID-19
COVID-19 testing is no-cost in Minnesota for everyone who lives in the state.
How can I get tested for COVID-19? Minnesota Department of Health community testing MDH community testing is free, open to everyone (whether you have symptoms or not), and you don’t need insurance. The testing options are:
• Nasal swab tests at COVID-19 Community Testing Events
• Saliva tests at COVID-19 Community Saliva Testing Sites
• At-home saliva testing through the COVID-19 Test at Home program
Hennepin County community testing
Hennepin County community testing is free, open to everyone (whether you have symptoms or not), and you
don’t need insurance. Find a Hennepin County community testing event.
Health clinic or hospital
Talk to your doctor or other health care provider about getting tested at your health clinic or hospital.
Information about test locations can be found here:
• Find Testing Locations
How can I order an at-home saliva test in another language?
The COVID-19 test at home website is available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese and Hmong.
I was charged for my COVID-19 test. What can I do?
If you have health insurance and get charged by your health insurer for a doctor-ordered COVID test, call the
Commerce Department’s Consumer Services Center at 651-539-1600 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
If you have health insurance and get charged by your health provider for a doctor-ordered COVID test, call your health insurance company to seek reimbursement. If you do not have health insurance and you get charged for a COVID test, submit feedback online.
Can you get deported for going to a testing event?
No. You will not get deported for going to a testing event.
Are COVID-19 testing events safe? Do COVID-19 testing events spread COVID-19?
Many steps are taken to lower your risk at COVID-19 testing events. For example:
• Testing staff wear personal protective equipment
• Participants must wear a mask. You will receive a free mask, if you don’t have one.
• Participants are asked to physically distance while waiting in line or getting tested.
Testing events don’t create new cases. They just tell us how much disease is actually out there.
Minnesota has increased its number of testing events and is testing more than ever. But more testing is not the only reason we’re seeing more cases.
If we were seeing more cases only because of more testing, the test positivity rate and the rate of increased testing would be growing at the same pace. Instead, new cases are growing faster than testing.
Testing is important for identifying positive cases so people can take steps to stay home and prevent spread.
There is widespread community spread across all parts of Hennepin County. Risk is not isolated to a specific event or location. Instead everyone is currently at risk, and risk is highest in situations where people don’t wear
masks and don’t stay six feet away from each other.
If I had a positive COVID-19 test will I still need to get vaccinated?
Yes, people who had COVID-19 will still need to get vaccinated. This is because COVID-19 is a new disease, so:
• We do not know how long a person cannot get sick again after they already were sick with COVID-19
(how long they are immune).
• We do not know if being infected before will make the next infection better or worse.
• We do not know if a person who was sick before, and then has contact with COVID-19 again, will be
able to pass the virus to others again.
Other frequently asked questions about COVID-19 testing
MDH testing FAQ: https://mn.gov/covid19/for-minnesotans/if sick/faq/index.jsp
What can you tell me about the COVID-19 vaccines?
Here is what we currently know about the COVID-19 vaccines:
Here is what we currently know about the COVID-19 vaccines:
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