(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 3,026 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 additional deaths Monday as the state received its first shipment of the vaccine.
Minnesota has now seen 381,841 coronavirus cases and 4,462 deaths since the state reported its first case in March, according to the latest state Department of Health data.
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Minnesota hospital prepare to receive first doses of COVID-19 vaccine
In the coming days, Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will arrive at various locations across the country including Minnesota. First up to get it, of course, are healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities.
The 3,026 newly reported cases were out of 45,341 completed—a positivity rate of 6.7%.
Nine of the 18 deaths reported Monday were in the Twin Cities metro while the rest were in Greater Minnesota. The deaths were all among people 65 or older.
Residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities accounted for 11 of the 18 deaths. To date, over 71% of Minnesota’s COVID-19 deaths have been in those types of facilities.
Hospitalizations continue to trend downward in Minnesota. There are currently 1,283 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota, 319 of whom are in the ICU—down from 352 a week ago.
Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann will provide an update on the COVID-19 situation in Minnesota at a 2 p.m. news conference. You can listen to the news conference live at fox9.com/live.
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Gov. Walz observes first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Minnesota
FOX 9 got an exclusive interview with Gov. Tim Walz as he was at the Minneapolis VA hospital Monday morning observing the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Minnesota.
Minnesota received its first 3,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday morning. Gov. Tim Walz was on hand to oversee the shipment's arrival at the Minneapolis VA hospital. He said the first shots will go into the arms of health care workers and long-term care residents within the next 24-48 hours.
Walz is expected to announce Wednesday whether he will extend the state’s current COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, sports, weddings, funerals and private gatherings. As of now, the four-week pause is set to end on Dec 18.