From Page 1 Becker County Kandiyohi County Crow Wing County Cook County Aitkin County Steele County Itasca County Douglas County Lyon County Pine County Otter Tail County Swift County Pennington County These places selected for the initial pilot represent geographically diverse areas of the state, prioritizing locations that do not currently have a saliva testing location or where community testing events have been limited. Minnesota currently has four saliva testing sites open, in Duluth, Winona, Moorhead, and Brooklyn Park, with Mankato scheduled to open Friday and up to five more to follow in coming weeks.

Through the mail order program, Minnesotans can order a saliva test online to be shipped to their home. They then perform the test by spitting into a small tube, under the supervision of a health care professional through a video telehealth visit. Once completed, the test is shipped to the state’s new saliva lab in Oakdale, Minnesota, where results are then emailed to the person in 24-48 hours.

“Offering free, easy and reliable COVID-19 testing is a key strategy to keeping our communities safe,” said Bonnie Brueshoff, Dakota County Public Health Director. “The ability to test at home is very important to reaching community members who can’t go to our drive-thru sites or who prefer more privacy.”

Testing is free to all Minnesotans who believe they need a COVID-19 test, including those who are asymptomatic. Participants will be asked for their health insurance information so the state can bill their insurance company on their behalf. If a person is uninsured or for any reason insurance does not cover some or all of the cost, the state will cover the difference so testing remains completely free to everyone.