With CoVid ramping up… testing is available if you know where to look.
Des Moines Valley Health & Human Services are offering FREE CoVid Rapid Antigen tests every Wednesday and Friday from 9am-11:30am and 1:30pm to 3:30pm at the Windom Public Health Office located at 235 9th Street in Windom. There are no income guidelines they are open to anyone. Results are available within an hour. All tests are done car side. Appointments can be made by going to Betested.as.me it is that simple. You choose your day and time and show up! There is no cost for this rapid antigen test. You can also make an appointment by going to DVHHS.org website and click on the CoVid-19 tab. For more information you can call the DVHHS Office at 507-831-1987.
Local Clinics also have testing. You need to call your doctors office and follow their protocol. At Home tests are starting to be available at your local Pharmacies, or you can go online to covidtests.gov and order FOUR free at home tests per household at this time. Orders are said to be shipped within 7-12 days.
Whatever your situation is. Whether you are needing to be tested for work or for travel or with the new guidelines coming out that you need to have negative test results to go to an event or restaurant. MAKE SURE that you check the requirements BEFORE taking any test for there are many different variants of the test out on the market. Your work may not accept a home test that is not witnessed or done by a healthcare professional, or you may need a antibody instead of an antigen test. Best advice become your own advocate and take steps to be safe.
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The Department of Public Safety has announced that our exam station for road or written knowledge testing or to pay a reinstatement fee will be re-opening Monday, January 24th. According to Kathy Kretsch- Cottonwood County Recorder/Registrar of Titles, Class D Road tests and Class D Written Knowledge tests are by appointment only. All other knowledge tests are on a first come first serve basis from 10 to 11am. Re-Instatement Fees will be accepted on a first come first serve basis from 10-11:45am.
Kretsch went onto say that online scheduling at www.drive.mn.gov is the fastest way to make an appointment at the exam station. They will take appointments by telephone at 507-651-1000 but it may be difficult to get through on that number. Kretsch wanted to remind citizens that in Windom, it is still required to make an appointment to renew your driver’s license at the Courthouse. Those appointments can be made on the Cottonwood County Website www.co.cottonwood.mn.us or by calling 507-831-1458.
Exam Station will be open in Windom January 24th at 1012 5th Ave Room 20 from 8:45am-Noon and 12:30pm- 3:45pm.
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Mountain Lake-Odin-Ormsby Sportsman Club is holding their Annual Ice Fishing Contest on January 29th from 10am-4pm. Registration starts at 9am on the 29th in the Golf Course Clubhouse- located at 56500 Lakeshore Drive in Mountain Lake. Entry fees are $20 for Adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. There is 100% payback in four categories Northern Pike, Walleye, Large Mouth Bass, and Panfish. Kids 12 and under will receive prize money for largest three fish caught. A Chili Lunch will be offered to the public in the clubhouse at Noon. A Minnesota fishing license is required to participate and all Minnesota DNR fishing regulations apply.
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Windom Area Health Governing Board of Directors will be holding a meeting on Monday, January 24th at 5:30pm in the Large Conference Room at the hospital.
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Windom Area Schools Work Session will be meeting on Monday January 24th at 6:30pm in the Windom City Council Chambers. You can also view the meeting Live at Media SB22 on YouTube.
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced yesterday that he has filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County district court against two Illinois-based companies — Center for COVID Control, LLC and Doctors Clinical Laboratory, Inc. — that collected samples from Minnesotans for COVID-19 testing, but either failed to deliver test results, or delivered test results that were falsified or inaccurate.
The Attorney General received numerous complaints from Minnesotans who submitted COVID-19 tests at pop-up sites around the state operated by Center for Covid Control who reported never receiving their test results from the company’s associated lab, Doctors Clinical Laboratory, despite waiting for weeks or more, or who received test results far later than the companies advertised. Some Minnesotans also reported receiving test results from the companies despite having never submitted a sample for testing. Still others reported receiving test results with false or inaccurate information about their test. Former employees of Center for Covid Control reported that, while the company could initially handle its load of local tests, its processing center failed to expand as the company opened up testing sites around the country, including in Minnesota. The results, as one former employee described, were chaos, with received samples being stuffed into trash bags strewn across the office floor. Former employees recounted finding samples in bags that were well over 48 hours old, being instructed by management to falsify dates of receipt, and being instructed to lie to consumers about their tests being inconclusive or negative when, in fact, the sample had not been tested.
“My job is to fight for Minnesotans’ security and help them live with dignity, safety, and respect. Making sure that Minnesotans have accurate tools to them safe from the COVID-19 pandemic is a key part of that job,” Attorney General Ellison said. “When Minnesotans and people from around the country tested with these companies to keep themselves and their families safe, they trusted they would get correct results on time. I’m holding these companies accountable that sent back false or inaccurate results, when they sent them back at all, for deceiving Minnesotans and undermining the public’s trust in testing. I want every Minnesotan to know that I will use every tool at my disposal to keep them safe and hold accountable companies that undermine their safety.”
Attorney General Ellison urges Minnesota consumers to report their concerns with the Center for COVID Control and Doctors Clinical Laboratory, including inaccurate reporting or failure to receive test results by submitting a complaint here or by calling the Attorney General’s Office at (651) 296-3353 (Metro) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota) or (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).