| Dear Friends, Minnesotans 65 and older can schedule appointments for COVID-19 community vaccine clinics starting today at noon Educators and child care workers will be notified if they receive an appointment. At 12 p.m. today, some Minnesotans eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine will be able to sign up for appointments at one of the state’s nine community vaccination pilot clinics through a new website and call center launched today by the State of Minnesota. The clinics will initially serve adults age 65 and older, as well as prekindergarten through grade 12 educators, staff, and child care workers. (See Who’s Getting Vaccinated?) Because this is a limited pilot program, vaccine demand is certain to outpace available doses at this time, and there will be a limited number of appointments available. Minnesotans are encouraged to remain patient as the state waits for more vaccine doses from the federal government. These initial clinics will set the state on a path for a more extensive network of vaccination clinics in Minnesota communities as the federal government increases vaccine supply. “Every shot in the arm is another step toward ending this pandemic and these clinics will help us meet the goal of getting millions of Minnesotans vaccinated as quickly and as safely as possible,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said. “To be clear, we do not have enough vaccine for everyone who wants one. Appointment slots will fill very quickly, and most Minnesotans will need to be patient as we wait for more vaccine to arrive in the state. But we are working hard to build a community vaccination system so we are ready along with pharmacies and clinics and others to get Minnesotans immunized once the federal government provides those doses.” In addition to the pilot clinics, Minnesota health care systems are providing limited vaccine doses to patients 65 years of age and older. Health care providers are developing systems to let their existing patients know when they can make an appointment for a vaccine. Providers will contact patients with this information – Minnesotans should not contact their health care providers directly right now. Minnesotans age 65 and older can make appointments by visiting mn.gov/vaccine or by calling 612-426-7230 or toll free, 1-833-431-2053. Minnesotans should attempt to make an appointment online before dialing the call center. Minnesotans who cannot immediately make an appointment may be able to sign up for a waitlist. Available appointments will refresh every Tuesday at noon. Minnesotans will have the opportunity to schedule appointments for both their first and second doses of vaccine. Educators and child care providers, with few exceptions, will work directly with their employer to receive instructions on how to secure a vaccination appointment and should not try to schedule an appointment unless their employer has contacted them with information about their appointment. Appointments are required to receive a shot. Minnesotans without an appointment should not visit a community vaccination pilot site. No walk-ins will be accepted, and anyone with the intention of walking in for an appointment will be asked to leave and given information on how to sign up for an appointment. Those on the waitlist will be notified if they should visit a vaccination pilot site for their shot. Minnesotans who are waitlisted but do not receive their vaccine one week will need to sign up again the following week. No matter how Minnesotans make an appointment, they will be asked to provide the following information: • Name • Minnesota address • Phone number • Email (optional) • Gender/race/ethnicity • Date of birth • Health information, including underlying conditions, current illnesses, and allergies. Minnesotans who make an appointment should arrive at their assigned pilot site no earlier than 15 minutes before their appointment to ensure social distancing. Educators will need to show an employee ID or a paystub to prove employment. More information on scheduling can be found at Find My Vaccine. Because this a pilot program, there is a limited amount of vaccine and appointment slots available for eligible Minnesotans right now. Access will increase as the federal government provides more doses of vaccine to Minnesota in the weeks ahead. The pilot clinics are located in Andover, Brooklyn Center, Fergus Falls, Mountain Iron, Thief River Falls, St. Cloud, North Mankato, Rochester and Marshall. “This pilot program is designed to help us how to best serve Minnesotans through our community vaccination strategy,” Commissioner Malcolm said. “What we learn now will help us ensure a smooth process when more doses arrive from the federal government and we can open more community vaccination clinics all across Minnesota. Please be patient. There is not enough vaccine for everyone who wants it. If you cannot make an appointment now, you will be able to soon.” More information is available at COVID-19 Vaccinations. Supporting Law Enforcement and Those Working in the Criminal Justice System Senate and House Republicans introduced a bill that strengthens state criminal penalties against individuals convicted of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, judge, prosecutor, or correctional officer. The legislation Senate File 82 increases the minimum sentence from 20 years with release under supervision after two-third of the sentence is served to life incarceration with a minimum of 30 years in prison before being eligible for release. The legislation was spurred after Officer Arik Matson, a Waseca police officer, was nearly killed in the line of duty last January. Every day we charge our law enforcement officers with the responsibility of protecting us, our laws, and this state. We put them in positions where their bravery shines, and they must make split-second decisions. Increasingly, we see our officers under attack. The legislation introduced increases penalties for criminals who try to kill our officers and reaffirms our commitment to ensuring their safety and protection in the line of duty. Senate Energy, Utilities Policy and Finance Committee Update Last week, the committee listened to presentations from multiple energy utilities, Xcel Energy, MN Power, Otter Tail Power and Great River Energy, plus municipal utilities such at Peoples Energy Cooperative. These energy companies presented their strategy and factors influencing moving towards decarbonization. Last Thursday’s committee we heard presentations how the energy sector is projected to change in the next 20 years. The committee heard from various Minnesota business leaders such as 3M, Aveda, EchoLab and General Mills. These businesses relayed why clean energy and environmental sustainability issues are important them. |
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