BROWN COUNTY — With efforts made in Brown County and around the state, the number of COVID-19 cases have decreased drastically.

The vaccines have proven to be effective, however, there are still many people who have not been vaccinated. These people are still at risk to contract COVID-19 and to spread to others who are vulnerable, making it important to continue to test for the virus.

The Minnesota Department of Health recently updated testing guidance to include:

• People who are not fully vaccinated should get tested if they are in contact with someone who has COVID-19.

• People who are not fully vaccinated should also get tested every two weeks if they have frequent contact with people outside their household, or if they participate in activities where social distancing may not be possible.

• People who are not fully vaccinated should get tested after travel within the U.S.

• Vaccinated or not, anyone who travels internationally should get tested upon returning to Minnesota.

There are many different options for testing in Brown County, including Sleepy Eye Medical Center and New Ulm Medical Center, as well as Walgreens and Hy-Vee Pharmacy.

Anyone can also order a no-cost test to be completed at home at https://learn.vaulthealth.com/state-of-minnesota/.

Testing and becoming vaccinated are two of the key players in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the different variants that are now presenting in the United States.

Variants are mutations of the original virus and they can spread faster and can cause more serious illness.

Vaccines work against the variants – when vaccination happens, transmission slows as do mutations.

Remember, if you’re sick, stay home and test for COVID-19.