Over 1.6M Minnesotans have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 1,550 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths Monday, just one day before the state expands vaccine eligibility to include anyone over age 16.

The state has now seen a total of 516,608 cases and 6,835 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Of the newly reported deaths, two people were residents in long-term care facilities. The 1,550 new cases were out of 22,455 tests, a positivity rate of 6.9%. As of Monday, there are 81 people in the ICU and an additional 255 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, about 1,609,277 Minnesotans have now received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 990,854 are fully vaccinated.

Gov. Walz to announce COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for nearly all Minnesotans

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be announcing on Friday in a live address that the state will be expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all Minnesotans aged 16 and up, starting on March 30.

In a televised speech Friday, Gov. Tim Walz set a goal of being the first state to get 80% of its population vaccinated. More than 81% of Minnesota seniors have at least one dose of the vaccine.

All Minnesotans who have not received a vaccine are encouraged to sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to get updates on vaccine opportunities and be entered into the random selection process for the state’s Community Vaccination Program sites. Minnesotans can also contact their healthcare provider, local pharmacy or use the Vaccine Locator Map to search for vaccine providers in their area.