Over 20K Minnesotans get 1st COVID-19 vaccine dose in single day for 1st time since Feb. 13

(FOX 9) - For the first time since Feb. 13, Minnesota reported over 20,000 people got their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine dose in a single day. Winter storms delayed vaccine shipments last week, but it appears the shipments are back on track. 

So far, 804,716 Minnesotans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 405,992 are fully vaccinated—roughly 15% and 7% of the state’s population respectively, according to the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health. MDH’s data is accurate as of Wednesday as reporting lags by a few days. 

Over 45% of Minnesota seniors have gotten at least their first dose of the vaccine. That is a closely watched figure as Gov. Tim Walz has said he will expand vaccine eligibility to more groups once 70% of seniors have one dose. 

Minnesota releases updated vaccine eligibility timeline

On Thursday, Walz put forward an updated vaccine eligibility timeline, which categories people into five tiers extending into early summer. However, the state’s timeline may end up being much faster than Walz’s estimate if the number of doses from Pfizer and Moderna increase as the companies are promising and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. 

An updated timeline from the state of Minnesota on when people can expect to get their COVID-19 vaccine. (FOX 9)

Minnesotans are encouraged to sign up on the state’s Vaccine Connector website to be notified when they are eligible for a vaccine. 

MDH reports 1,156 new cases, 12 deaths Friday

Health officials reported 1,156 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 additional deaths on Friday. 

Minnesota has now seen 482,978 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. A total of 6,462 Minnesotans have died from COVID-19. 

The 1,156 newly reported cases were out of 39,601 tests—a 2.9% positivity rate. Minnesota’s 7-day rolling average test positivity rate is 3.7%. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH. 

Four of the 12 deaths reported on Friday were in the Twin Cities metro. The ages of the people who died ranged from 60-94 years old. 

Four of the people who died were residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities. Nearly 63% of Minnesota’s COVID-19 deaths have been people who lived in long-term care or assisted living facilities. 

The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU increased from 50 to 60 from Wednesday to Thursday, th latest MDH data shows. There are currently a total of 263 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state.