CAROLINE J. DAVIDGE-PITTS: It is natural for you to be anxious and have questions and concerns about your safety as you return to face to face health care visits. We want to reassure you, that patient and staff safety is of utmost importance at Mayo Clinic. We have implemented patient and visitor screening prior to coming to and upon arrival at Mayo.
We have a universal masking policy, enhanced cleaning of all of our lobbies, social distancing guidelines, and require staff to take their temperatures two times a day. I want to emphasize that our team is here to care for you in this challenging time. We're all in this together.
It is best for you to bring your own mask with you to Mayo if possible. If a patient or visitor arrives without a mask, one will be provided. Wearing gloves is optional for patients and visitors, and is often based on their comfort level and individual situation.
When patients are called to get their appointments scheduled, they will be asked screening questions and educated on our masking, social distancing, and visitor policies. 48 hours prior to the appointment, patients will be virtually checked in through a phone call, which includes screening questions and reminders on safety policies.
Upon arrival to Mayo Clinic, patients are directed to enter at specific access points, and are met by Mayo staff who will ask screening questions and take body temperature. There is an enhanced screening protocol for patients who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms while on campus. This may result in a COVID-19 test.
Some procedures and practice areas require COVID-19 testing prior to your appointment. This will be discussed with you and scheduled during the initial phone call. As a whole, Minnesota has had just over 28,000 positive cases to date. Olmstead county, which includes Rochester, has had around 700 positive cases, with only 100 of these being active currently.
