Minnesota reports 884 new COVID-19 cases, 11 more deaths Saturday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 884 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 more deaths Saturday.

So far, the state has seen 478,157 cases and 6,423 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Of the 11 newly reported deaths, six were residents in longterm care facilities.

Meanwhile, as of Friday, more than one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people in Minnesota. At least 337,829 Minnesota seniors have at least their first dose of the vaccine, which is approximately 39.3% of the state’s age 65 and older population.

All Minnesota seniors could be offered COVID-19 vaccine in March, health commissioner says

Minnesota health officials say they intend to offer a coronavirus vaccine to all senior citizens by the end of March, though winter weather is slowing vaccinations in the short term.

The seven-day rolling average of doses administered is now 29,705, according to a news release from Walz's office.

Walz called it a "milestone day," but said there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure every Minnesotan has access to the vaccine. "Every time a Minnesotan gets their shot, they are protecting themselves and moving our entire state closer to ending this pandemic," Walz said in a statement. "We still need more vaccine from the federal government and we have a long road ahead, but we can truly see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Minnesota launches online vaccine registry

Minnesota launched an online vaccine registry Thursday for people who have not yet gotten a vaccine—even those who are not currently eligible—to get notified of future opportunities.

Health officials are encouraging all Minnesotans who have not gotten a vaccine to sign up on COVID-19 Vaccine Connector website. The website requires people to fill out a short form with basic information such as contact information, medical history and employment information, after which it will alert them when they are eligible to receive a vaccine and connect them to resources for scheduling a vaccine appointment.

Minnesotans can sign up at mn.gov/vaccineconnector. Minnesotans unable to sign up online can call 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone. Translation is available by phone in all languages by calling the translation hotline at 833-431-2053.