“A member of Governor Walz’s staff tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning after being tested on Tuesday. While Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, and Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm were not within six feet of the staff member for more than 15 minutes, they were in the same room as the staff member for the duration of a press conference on Monday.”

“The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Commissioner will quarantine through March 25, which is 10 days since the time of exposure per CDC guidance. The Governor will postpone the State of the State address until he has completed quarantine. In the meantime, Governor Walz looks forward to communicating with Minnesotans virtually.”

“Governor Walz has not yet been vaccinated. Lieutenant Governor Flanagan has only received one of two required Moderna doses. Commissioner Malcolm has received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine but is still within the 14 day waiting period. The Governor hopes this serves as an important reminder for Minnesotans that, while we are close to the end of the pandemic, we must continue to take COVID-19 seriously. Wear a mask, social distance, get tested, and sign up to get vaccinated.”

Minnesota Department of Health Briefing

This afternoon, officials from the Minnesota Department of Health conducted a media briefing with reporters to update the public on the spread of COVID-19 and discuss COVID-19 vaccination.

Commissioner Jan Malcolm, Department of Health

• Commissioner Malcolm reported 1,046 new cases of COVID-19. This brings the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 499,962.
• Yesterday, 21,046 COVID-19 tests were reported to the state.
• Another seven Minnesotans died due to COVID-19. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state to 6,756.
• Currently, 282 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 with 67 of those in the ICU.
• The seven-day COVID-19 test positivity average is 4.0%, which has increased slightly over the past days.
• Almost 1.99 million vaccine doses have been administered to Minnesotans. Over 1.28 million Minnesotans have had at least one dose. Over half of those have had the complete series of COVID-19 vaccination.
• The commissioner announced that she, as well as Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, will be self-quarantining until March 25 following a potential COVID-19 exposure from Monday.
• She reminded Minnesotans to continue to do basic prevention measures to limit risk – wear a mask, social distance, get tested when symptoms arise, and get vaccinated as soon as eligible.
• Commissioner Malcolm also outlined the new guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health for non-medical outings for long-term care residents:
• When asked about whether Minnesota will open up vaccine eligibility to everyone 18-years-old and older by April 5 as Iowa has done, Commissioner Malcolm responded that she wasn’t sure vaccinations will be open completely by April 5, but that she expects to open up eligibility further by that point. She said that state officials are having discussions about collapsing the next tiers of eligibility given the state’s ability to move quickly on vaccinations.

Director Kris Ehresmann, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division

• Director Ehresmann stated that tomorrow’s COVID-19 numbers will be notable for two reasons:
• The state will surpass 500,000 total reported cases of COVID-19
• The state will report administering over two million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
• While she noted there is “a lot to be excited about” as it relates to the end of the pandemic, Minnesotans need to continue to be cautious during this phase of the pandemic – keeping wearing masks, stay socially distant, and get vaccinated when eligible.

Amos A. Briggs | Government Relations
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