[ST. PAUL, MN] — Governor Tim Walz announced that more than one million Minnesotans have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including 61.7% of Minnesotans aged 65+. As of Saturday’s vaccine report, 1,016,274 Minnesotans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 543,696 Minnesotans are fully vaccinated.

“Today, on the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in our state, reaching the milestone of getting the vaccine into the arms of one million Minnesotans is particularly poignant,” said Governor Walz. “As we reflect on the past year and the thousands of lives lost, we know that every shot in the arm of a Minnesotan brings us one step closer to ending this pandemic.”

“In Minnesota, we’ve built a strong network of providers across the state that can step up and deliver as we get more vaccine. I am grateful for all the hard work of so many people to get to this milestone today, and we stand ready to administer vaccines quickly and equitably as they come to our state — until every last Minnesotan has their chance to get a shot,” continued Governor Walz.

“It is a good day knowing that more than one million of our most vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbors have gotten at least one dose of these life-saving vaccines,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “There is hope on the horizon, and we will keep working tirelessly to get shots into arms fairly and equitably until we reach each and every Minnesotan, in every community, in every corner of our state.”

Minnesota has stood up an efficient vaccine distribution network and proven its ability to quickly expand vaccine access as the federal government increases supply.

The state is a national leader in getting vaccines into arms and consistently ranks in the top ten among states for the percentage of doses received that have been administered. Minnesota is now averaging nearly 42,000 doses administered per day.

The state reported the four highest days of vaccinations within the past week, given increased supply: nearly 63,000 vaccinations reported today, nearly 50,000 vaccinations reported yesterday, and following a delay in shipments due to weather, Minnesota providers made up for lost time and set two record-breaking days reporting nearly 70,000 vaccinations on Sunday and nearly 56,000 vaccinations on Saturday. While the state has a proven capacity to vaccinate quickly and efficiently, current limitations arise from changes in vaccine supply from the federal government. Minnesota will see a 20% drop in total allocation next week with no additional Johnson and Johnson vaccines being shipped to the states.

The state also continues to expand the provider network. On Friday, Governor Walz announced the fifth large-scale permanent site at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, joining sites already running in Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, and Bloomington. The state also partnered with the Minnesota Vikings on a new community vaccination event at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center to administer Johnson & Johnson doses to health care workers and adults 65 years of age or older.