'This Is A Milestone Day': More Than 1 Million Vaccine Shots Administered In Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- More than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given to Minnesotans, Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday.
In a statement, the governor said that 1,016,210 shots of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine have been administered as of the latest official report.
"This is a milestone day. Minnesotans have received 1 million doses of these safe, effective, live-saving vaccines," Walz said. "Every time a Minnesotan gets their shot, they are protecting themselves and moving our entire state closer to ending this pandemic."
Since the vaccine rollout began late last year, some 728,081 Minnesotans have received their first vaccine shot while 286,543 people have received the full series. According to the governor's office, the seven-day rolling average of doses administered is nearly at 30,000. The vaccine data dashboard reports that nearly 40% of Minnesotans over 65 have received at least one dose, while nearly 13% of those between 50 and 64 have received their first shot.
As well as Minnesotans 65 and older, the state is working to inoculate residents in long-term care facilities, frontline health care workers, teachers, and child care workers.
"We know there's a lot of work ahead to make sure every Minnesotan has access to the vaccine," Walz said. "COVID-19 is still with us, and Minnesotans still need to take precautions to slow the spread of the virus. We don't have enough doses for everyone to get the vaccine right now. But when your time comes, Minnesota, roll up your sleeve, get your shot, and we'll get to the finish line, together."
RELATED: Gov. Walz Launches 'Vaccine Connector,' Says It's The Next Step In Rollout Strategy
On Friday, Minnesota health officials reported 1,001 additional COVID-19 cases and eight deaths, bringing the state's total case count to 477,287 and total fatalities to 6,412. All of the deaths reported Friday involved those over 65 years old, while three of them took place in long-term care or group home living situations.
The seven-day rolling average positivity rate has been steadily declining in the past few weeks, hitting 3.7% as of Feb. 10, the lowest it's been since the end of June. However, the Public Health Risk Measures dashboard shows the community spread in Minnesota is higher than ever before; 44% of those who tested positive do not know where they contracted the virus.
Daily new cases and hospital admissions per 100,000 residents has also seen a sharp decline. As of Thursday afternoon, 282 Minnesotans were in the hospital, with 59 of those cases in the ICU.
In the last 24 hours, 45,367 COVID-19 tests have been processed; since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 3.3 million Minnesotans have been tested for the virus. Of those who have tested positive, 463,454 no longer need to self-isolate.
MORE: When Will The Next Groups Get Vaccinated? And Who's In Those Groups?
On Thursday, the administration launched a tool to help Minnesotans figure out how to get their shots once they are eligible to get the vaccine. It's called the Vaccine Connector, and it's free to use. Still, there's been no word as to when or how the state's rollout will expand to include other groups, such as essential workers.