COVID In Minnesota: MDH Reports 1,321 Cases, 8 Deaths As Nearly 48% Of Eligible Minnesotans Are Fully Vaccinated
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The first stage of the timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions is now in effect, and health officials on Saturday report 1,321 new cases and eight deaths. Meanwhile, over 2.1 million Minnesotans are fully inoculated.
The Minnesota Department of Health says that in all, there have been 586,959 COVID-19 cases and 7,224 cumulative fatalities. Of those who have contracted the virus, more than 566,000 no longer need to self-isolate.
Gov. Tim Walz earlier this week said that restrictions on outdoor gatherings were to be lifted by Friday, and limits on business capacity would be lifted by May 28. The mask mandate would be lifted by July 1. If 70% of Minnesotans can get vaccinated beforehand, the mandate will be lifted sooner.
As of Thursday, roughly 60% of Minnesotans have received their first dose and 47.8% have completed the series. More than 4.5 million vaccines have been administered in the state since December.
The vaccine data dashboard says 87.7% of Minnesotans 65 and older have received at least one shot, while 64.3% of those between 50 and 64 have received their first dose.
In an effort to ramp up vaccinations, Walz announced on Friday that the state's community vaccination sites are accepting walk-in appointments, effective immediately. He encouraged families - especially those with eligible teenagers - to get vaccinated together.
Walk-ins for those 16 years and older are accepted at the Mall of America, Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and sites in Lino Lakes and Oakdale. Walk-ins for those 18 and older are accepted in Mankato, Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud.
Minnesotans can also continue to schedule vaccination appointments by visiting vaccineconnector.mn.gov.
