(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Health reported 882 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths on Saturday. Minnesota has now seen 593,622 COVID-19 cases and 7,286 deaths attributed to the virus since the pandemic began.
There are currently about 464 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Minnesota, 123 of whom are in the ICU.
Vaccination progress
The Minnesota Department of Health reports 61% of people 16 or older have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, the day Gov. Tim Walz is set to end the statewide mask mandate. Approximately 51% are fully vaccinated.
Walz initially planned to remove the statewide mask mandate when Minnesota reached 70% or more people with a first dose, but changed his mind after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that fully vaccinated people can go without masks indoors.
Only three counties—Hennepin, Olmsted and Cook—hit Walz's 70% goal. Benton County in central Minnesota has the lowest vaccination rate in the state, with only 36% of people 16 and older having received at least a first vaccine dose.
An estimated 4.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Minnesota to date.
As of Thursday, children ages 12-15 can start getting vaccinated against COVID-19, although the Pfizer vaccine is the only one that has been authorized for use in children under 18. Find out how to get a COVID-19 appointment for your child here.
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One of the first coronavirus patients in Minnesota recounts experience
She was one of the first coronavirus patients in the state. She discussed what that was like and why she is hoping people get vaccinated.