Governor Walz: State to Vaccinate 70% of Seniors by End of March Before Expanding Vaccine Eligibility

This week, Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will remain focused on vaccinating most of the state’s seniors before expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Governor Walz issued guidance to vaccinate 70% of adults 65 years of age and older before expanding eligibility, and aims to reach this goal by the end of March. The directive is the latest commitment of the Walz-Flanagan Administration to vaccinating seniors and keeping them safe.

Once 70% of the state’s seniors have received the vaccine, Minnesota will expand eligibility based on underlying health conditions and workplace exposure risk. Based on current projections, the next group of Minnesotans eligible for a vaccine will begin getting them in April, and every Minnesotan should be able to get a vaccine by this summer.

Details on these vaccination phases are available on the COVID-19 Response website’s Who’s Getting Vaccinated page. Information about how those groups will get vaccinated will be shared in the coming weeks. All Minnesotans should sign up for the Vaccine Connector to stay informed on their eligibility and get connected to vaccine opportunities once they become eligible.

Governor Walz Highlights Partnerships with Community Organizations to Connect Minnesotans with COVID-19 Vaccine

On Tuesday, Governor Walz joined community leaders at Shiloh Temple International Ministries to highlight that the State has partnered with more than 30 community-based organizations to help connect Minnesotans with the COVID-19 vaccine. As COVID-19 Community Coordinators , these partners will work with the State to ensure people in Minnesota have access to the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector and other COVID-19 information specific to their communities, including in multiple languages.

“We know many communities, including BIPOC communities, face barriers to accessing the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Trusted organizations like these are deeply embedded in their communities and play a vital role in ensuring that folks in every community feel connected to our vaccine network and know how to get vaccinated safely and confidently.”

Governor Tim Walz Announces 2021 Local Jobs and Projects Plan

On Monday, Governor Walz announced his 2021 Local Jobs and Projects Plan – his capital investment recommendation for the current legislative session. The plan invests $518.086 million in infrastructure projects across the state to maintain existing buildings, invest in communities, and ensure that the state can leverage available federal funds. Nearly half of the plan will support asset preservation projects at state agencies and higher education institutions.

“When Gwen and I bought our house in Mankato, we knew the importance of investing in upkeep over the years in order to avoid major repairs down the road. You fix your roof before it collapses. You repair a leaky pipe before it leads to water damage. That’s exactly what this plan prioritizes—taking care of what we have,” said Governor Walz. “By maintaining existing assets, we can keep our state’s infrastructure strong and reliable for generations to come. What’s more, we can create jobs that boost our economy in the process.”

Governor Walz Statement on Economic Forecast

Today, Minnesota Management and Budget released the February economic forecast for the State of Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz released the following statement after the announcement:

“This budget forecast is good news for Minnesota. It proves that the measures we took during the pandemic have both saved lives and protected the economy.”

“But state projections aren’t the same as household budgets. They don’t reflect the hardship that many Minnesotans have endured over the past 12 months. As we come out of COVID-19, we can’t forget the sacrifices so many of our workers and small businesses have taken to protect their communities. They’ve been heroes throughout the past year, sacrificing their own bottom line for their neighbors. And they saved lives. That’s why my budget focuses on leveling the playing field to support working families and small businesses.”

There is no longer an anticipated shortfall for FY 2022-23 and Minnesota now projects a positive balance of $1.6 billion because of a higher revenue forecast, lower state spending, and an increased surplus for the current fiscal year.

Governor Walz Announces Outreach Campaign to Fight Hunger

On Tuesday, Governor Walz announced a new outreach campaign for Minnesotans struggling to afford nutritious food for themselves and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign will connect families with personalized assistance and information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) collaborated with General Mills to develop the SNAP Campaign focused on families with children who have faced increasing food insecurity over the last year. The campaign will use digital marketing to direct interested people to www.mnfoodhelper.org , which connects them to one of the department’s 32 contracted SNAP specialist partners statewide.

For more information on SNAP, visit the COVID-19 emergency food support webpage .

Governor Walz Announces COVID-19 Community Vaccination Site at Mall of America

Large-scale, permanent Bloomington site joins Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester in the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program

As part of the State of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program (CVP), Governor Walz announced a new community vaccination site to launch this week at Mall of America in Bloomington. The large-scale, permanent site will be the fourth of its kind, joining sites in Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester that launched last week. The Mall of America will serve approximately 8,190 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educators, school staff, and child care workers in its first week.

“We’re continuing to build a reliable network of options for Minnesotans to access the vaccine,” said Governor Walz. “In addition to helping all Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their vaccine through the Vaccine Connector, the site at the Mall of America expands the network to give more Minnesotans access to shots in their communities.”

Minnesota Adds Hy-Vee to Expanding Pharmacy Vaccine Network

On Monday, Governor Tim Walz announced that Hy-Vee will be added to the expanding network of pharmacies vaccinating Minnesotans across the state. Hy-Vee joins two other retail pharmacies in Minnesota — Walmart and Thrifty White — that are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program that launched earlier this month. Hy-Vee will administer more than 10,000 doses of the vaccine this week to adults 65 years of age and older at more than 30 Hy-Vee sites in the state.

ICYMI: State Launches New Tool to Connect All Minnesotans to COVID-19 Vaccines

The Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector will help Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their shot

Last week, Governor Walz announced the launch of the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, a tool that helps all Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine. The Vaccine Connector is the next step of the state’s vaccination strategy to meet Minnesotans where they are and connect them to vaccine opportunities, no matter where they live or their personal circumstances.

Minnesotans who have not yet been vaccinated are encouraged to sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, regardless of their current vaccine eligibility status. There will be no cost and no restricted time period for signing up.

Minnesotans can sign up at mn.gov/vaccineconnector. Minnesotans unable to sign up online can call 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone. Translation is available by phone in all languages. Minnesotans can call the translation hotline at 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone.