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

• 
  Robert Lilligren: the Native community responds to Minneapolis ICE operations
  Today, we bring you a special edition of Native Lights. We’re talking with Robert Lilligren, CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, which is based in Minneapolis. He is also a White Earth citizen. Robert discusses the unprecedented deployment of some 2,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis, how that has impacted the Native community, and what Indigenous leaders and organizations are doing to educate and protect the community.
• 
  Victoria Marie: Learning to Surrender
  Today, we’re excited to present Victoria Marie, an enrolled tribal member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. She’s the founder and owner of Indigenous Lotus, a wellness program that combines yoga classes, tribal dance, exercise and meditation with an emphasis on helping people cope with stress and trauma. Those stressors can include PTSD, homelessness, sexual exploitation and poverty.
• 
  Cole Redhorse Taylor: Creating Contemporary Work Through Connection to Traditional Art Forms
  Today, we’re excited to welcome Cole Redhorse Taylor to the Native Lights podcast. Cole is Mdewakanton Dakota and a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community. He’s an artist, and has worked in many mediums: drawing, painting, beadwork, quill work, hockey helmets. He’s created contemporary and traditional pieces heavily inspired by the artwork of his ancestors. And of course, if you’re a sports fan, you may have seen his collaborations with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Wild.

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• IndigeFit Kids Coaching Academy, and Watheca Records’ Music Archiving Project
  This week, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s campaign to boost Native youth wellness is expanding its reach across Minnesota, and an archival project is preserving Indigenous music for future generations.
• MNN Extended Interview: Heid E. Erdrich
  This week, we look back with an extended conversation between producer Dan Ninham and art curator, writer, and educator Heid E. Erdrich about creativity, collaboration, and the connections that shape her work.