More than 84,000 people as of Tuesday morning had received first doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota, amid a pandemic that has caused 5,461 deaths and 425,261 diagnosed infections in the state.
The COVID-19 totals include 18 deaths and 1,612 infections newly reported Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Health.
State health officials said they were encouraged by the recent declines in COVID-19 activity in Minnesota and steady deliveries of vaccine. Minnesota has received 297,350 first doses of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, and expects another 66,000 doses this week.
State infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann said it was remarkable that multiple vaccines have been developed, approved and delivered against a novel coronavirus that was identified only a year ago.
"It's time that we celebrate how far we've come in a very short amount of time," Ehresmann said.
Second doses are starting to arrive in Minnesota as well for injection three to four weeks after the first doses. The Minneapolis VA Medical Center provided second doses to workers starting Monday.
State officials reported Tuesday that 80,857 first doses of vaccine had been administered to the high-priority groups of health care workers and long-term care residents, the latter being at increased risk for severe COVID-19 due to their ages and underlying health problems.
That total doesn't include several thousand doses delivered separately in Minnesota to federal sites such as the Minneapolis VA and the Indian Health Service in Bemidji. The VA through Monday had reported providing 3,125 first doses to workers and veterans, and 102 second doses.
