COVID-19 Updates with Leah Lemm and Dr. Antony Stately

MDH is offering free at-home rapid COVID tests. The program – Say Yes! To Covid Test is online at sayyeshometest.org. Every household can place a new order every month until the program ends.

Your health insurance needs to be renewed periodically.  Avoid losing your Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare by being prepared for your renewal.  1 in 4 Minnesotans will need to renew their healthcare coverage soon.  Learn what it means for you or someone you know. To learn more, go to the Minnesota Department of Human Services website.

The CDC is recommending adults with underlying conditions, those over 60 and toddlers to receive the recently approved RSV vaccine. RSV is a respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but it can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.

An updated COVID vaccine has become available as of a couple of weeks ago. The vaccine is recommended for individuals 5-years and older. There are also options for children between 6-months to 5-years old.

Minnesota residents who have symptoms of COVID-19 and have tested positive or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 are eligible to receive treatment at no-cost. The Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with Cue Health run the Test to Treat program, which provides access to care and COVID19 medication. Health insurance is not required to receive treatment. To receive your treatment call 1-844-609-2415 to speak with a healthcare provider.

More from Native Lights

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  Bobbi Jo Potter: Making Space for Community
  We speak with Bobbi Jo Potter, a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. She’s deputy director of Children and Family Services in Ramsey County and is a 2026 Bush Fellow working to keep Native families connected and make child welfare more about relationships and healing.
• 
  Budd Parker & Tim “Pete” Fairbanks: Restoring the Legacy of White Earth’s Forgotten Veterans
  Today we’re joined by Budd Parker and Tim “Pete” Fairbanks. Budd is a Navy veteran and descendant of the White Earth Nation. He lives in Osage and was raised by grandparents who knew Civil War soldiers. He and his crew, including cousin Pete Fairbanks, dig through records. They clear forgotten cemeteries and set corrected headstones so families can hear their ancestors’ names again. Pete, an Army veteran, is also from the White Earth Nation, and he works with Budd to restore headstones and graveyards.
• 
  Alex Kmett: Culture as Curriculum, Language as Medium
  Today, we’re speaking with language revitalization leader and cultural educator Alex Kmett. Alex is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation and a descendant of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He’s a 2026 Bush Fellow and a co-founder of a charter school in Red Lake Nation.

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• Harvest Time at Dream of Wild Health, and the Merciless Exhibit at the Weisman
  This week, it’s harvest time at the Dream of Wild Health Farm, and an exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum celebrates Native resiliency 250 years after the formation of the United States of America.
• MNN Extended Interview: Jonathan Thunder
  This week, we revisit producer Travis Zimmerman’s interview with filmmaker Jonathan Thunder about his award-winning short film, Ish Meets a Mermaid.