COVID In Minnesota: MDH Reports 1,227 New Cases, 5 Deaths
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As Minnesota prepares for another expansion of vaccine eligibility, state health officials reported 1,227 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths Sunday.
The latest figures from the Minnesota Department of Health put the total case count at 515,058, while total deaths now number 6,830.
More than 2.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in the state. Nearly 1.6 million people have received at least one dose, while 976,061 have gotten the full sequence. Eighty-one percent of Minnesota's 65+ population has received at least one dose.
In the last 24 hours, the state administered 31,383 COVID-19 tests. More than 3.6 million Minnesotans have been tested since the start of the pandemic.
Since last March, 27,067 cases have required hospitalization; 5,568 of those cases ended up in the intensive care unit. More than 495,000 COVID patients no longer require isolation.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday that, beginning March 30, all Minnesotans age 16 and up will be eligible for a vaccine.
While tens of thousands of more Minnesotans will be eligible for vaccine shots next week, the state will still ask providers to prioritize vaccinations for older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions, and those in frontline jobs. From there, the providers will have the flexibility to allocate appointments to other eligible Minnesotans.
Walz urged all Minnesotans to get in line for the vaccine, acknowledging that while they might be eligible next week, they'll likely receive the vaccine later, due to supply constraints.