Gov. Walz to announce next steps in Minnesota's vaccine plan in Thursday address
Credit: Office of the Governor
Gov. Tim Walz will announce on Thursday the next steps in Minnesota's COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
The governor will hold an address at 12:15 p.m., when he will expound on the expansion of Minnesota Department of Health's vaccine plan.
Thus far, the vaccine has been prioritized for healthcare workers, long-term care residents and staff, teachers and childcare workers, and those over the age of 65.
Walz will indicate who is likely to be next in line for the shots, with essential workers and those with underlying conditions and illnesses that make them more vulnerable to the virus set to be included.
You will be able to watch the address here, but if recent announcements are anything to go by, expect the basic details of the plan to be released mid-morning in advance of Walz's speech.
On Wednesday, Walz's spokesman told local media that the governor wants to wait until at least 70% of Minnesota's over-65s have been vaccinated before expanding it to other groups.
He said he expects this mark will be reached by the end of March.
FOX 9 also reported that Minnesota has seen its vaccine allocation almost double in the past month. The state is expected to receive 142,810 first doses of vaccine this week – 27,000 of which will go straight to pharmacies as part of a federal vaccination scheme.
This compares to 68,000 a week Minnesota was receiving a month ago.
