COVID vaccine eligibility expands, case count increases in Cook County

Local public health officials announced on WTIP this morning that 400 vaccines will be administered this week in Cook County during an event Thursday, March 18, at the community center in Grand Marais.
 
At this week’s vaccination event, approximately 100 people will receive their second dose of the vaccine and approximately 300 people will receive their first dose. 
 
Recently expanded eligibility by state officials will allow for more local residents to have the option to get the vaccine this week. They include people who are over the age of 50 who are living in a multi-generational household and people working in one of the following fields of employment:

• Agriculture
• Airport Staff
• Corrections
• Education (childcare, K-12 schools, youth enrichment programs)
• Healthcare
• First Responder (fire, law enforcement, EMS)
• Food Service workers, including grocery, convenience store, food shelf, bakery, bars, restaurant, café, winery, brewery, catering.
• Judicial System
• Manufacturing
• Public Transit
• Postal Service Workers

 
Also eligible this week are people between the ages of 45-64 with at least one underlying health condition, or between the ages of 18-44 with at least two underlying health conditions that put you at higher risk for COVID-19.

If you are eligible, click here to register for this week’s vaccination event in Grand Marias.

Cook County continues to offer a two-dose vaccination series using the Moderna vaccine, and all individuals are automatically registered for their second dose appointment when receiving their first dose.
 
Meanwhile, there were at least ten additional cases of COVID-19 reported in Cook County last week and over the weekend. The overall case count since the start of the pandemic now stands at 128, according to Public Health Supervisor Grace Grinager.  
 
Local public health officials continue to remind residents that even though there is a high rate of vaccination locally, the pandemic is not over and the virus continues to spread across Minnesota, including here in the community.
 
Grinager spoke March 15 with WTIP News Director Joe Friedrichs about this week’s vaccination event in Cook County and the recent uptick in the COVID-19 case count in the community. The audio below is their full conversation.