COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Lake County seeking COVID testing volunteers

TWO HARBORS, MN -- Two years into the pandemic, Lake County is putting out a call for more volunteers to assist with public health initiatives.

“Lake County like a lot of other counties, has relied on volunteers throughout the pandemic,” said LaReesa Sandretsky, a community health educator for Lake County Public Health. “Now that we’re seeing a shift from vaccination back into testing, we’re just hoping to get some more volunteers to help with that effort.”

Lake County uses Minnesota Responds, a program through the state that connects local, regional, and statewide volunteers to public health organizations.

“We just want to make sure that testing is easily accessible in Lake County and this is a big part of that,” Sandretsky said.

Minnesota Responds provides Lake County with a list of qualified volunteers. The county can then reach out to those people whenever they need help.

“Even once you sign up, it’s always a voluntary process, so we’ll send out a call for volunteers,” Sandretsky said. “If people decide they’re not comfortable with the level of exposure, they can always pass on the opportunity.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Lake County has had 37 people volunteer for more than 1,600 hours.

The county had 135 new cases and one hospitalization in the last week.

To sign up for Minnesota Responds, click here.

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