Essentia Health Makes Changes to Visitor Restrictions, COVID-19 Testing

With COVID-19 cases continuing to go up, Essentia Health has made a couple of changes, one regarding visitor restrictions and one involving testing.

First, Essentia Health announced that as of Wednesday, October 20, patients in the Brainerd Lakes Area are being asked to attend appointments alone. Children, obstetric patients, and those that require assistance are allowed one person to accompany them, but that person must be healthy and at least 18 years old.

This change will impact Essentia Health clinics in Baxter, Brainerd, Crosslake, Emily, Hackensack, Pequot Lakes, Pierz, Pillager, and Pine River.

Another change Essentia is making is to their COVID-19 testing procedures. Effective immediately, all patients who schedule a COVID-19 test will receive a kit to perform their own test. This was decided based on the increased demand for tests and the shutdown of many government testing sites.

Those shutdowns have funneled more patients into Essentia’s clinics. The change will allow Essentia to be more prepared to offer COVID-19 booster shots, flu vaccines, and care for their patients.

When arriving to their scheduled appointments, patients will receive a test kit to be done inside their vehicles. The entire process should take about 15 minutes.