Today, Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater), Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, held a hearing with the Minnesota Department of Health to provide an update on COVID testing and the State Vaccine Plan for Seniors.

“It breaks my heart that our most vulnerable seniors have been left to suffer. Not only have they been quarantined to their long term care facilities, they have also been locked in with skyrocketing case numbers,” said Sen. Housley. “We have failed our seniors for almost a year and now it’s time to remedy the problem.”

The informational hearing included an update on the State’s long-term plan for vaccinating seniors. MDH currently has a proposed vaccination plan that groups candidates based on priority. Seniors over 65 were originally slated to be in the second priority group 1(b), but have been downgraded to the third group 1(c). There is currently no set timeline for vaccination distribution within the third group.

“We are in the early stages of our vaccine plan, and our seniors and healthcare workers have to be prioritized. These are our most vulnerable Minnesotans, and with highs of 70% of COVID-related deaths happening in our nursing homes, we cannot delay their vaccine, we need to speed it up. I will continue to hold the Department accountable until we have a clear vaccination plan in place for every senior in the state that’s 65 or older. They’ve been left behind, and the Governor’s administration needs to answer for that.”