A coronavirus graphic. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Access to the vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, will not be extended to wider swaths of Minnesota's population until 70% of older adults in the state have been inoculated, Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday, Feb. 25.
Minnesota could hit that target and expand eligibility for the vaccine as early as April, according to the governor's office. Already, roughly 43% of Minnesotans ages 65 and older have been vaccinated.
Once the 70% benchmark is met, Minnesotans with certain underlying health conditions that put them at a higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, or who work in settings with a high risk of disease exposure, would be next in line to receive the vaccine.