Friday, February 12, 2021
Governor Walz Orders Flags Flown at Half-Staff to Honor Victims of Buffalo Tragedy
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 On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz directed all flags at state and federal buildings in Minnesota to be flown at half-staff, effective immediately, until sunset on Sunday, February 14, 2021 in honor of the victims of the senseless tragedy that resulted in one lost life and four others injured at Allina Clinic Crossroads in Buffalo, Minnesota on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.
"Minnesota flags will fly at half-staff through Sunday to honor the loss of Medical Assistant Lindsay Overbay and those who were injured and the at Allina Clinic in Buffalo," said Governor Walz. "As we grieve this senseless tragedy, let us also honor their work to keep Minnesotans safe and healthy."
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96% of School Districts Participating in Minnesota’s First-in-the-Nation Educator Testing Program
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 On Friday, Governor Walz visited Parkview Center School in Roseville to highlight the state’s first-in-the-nation testing program, which began just over one month ago. Since then, more than 96% of Minnesota’s school districts have signed up to participate. In addition, 41% of nonpublic schools and two out of four tribal schools are also participating. The current rate of transmission among educators is at 0.37 %.
“Getting our children safely back into the classroom continues to be a priority,”said Governor Tim Walz.“From the teachers, to the parents, to school staff, to the kids – we all share the same goal of a safe return to the classroom. Testing is key to that. The educator testing program ensures that all teachers and school staff have regular, easy access to testing to allow us to identify cases and take the appropriate steps before an outbreak occurs.”
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Large-scale, permanent site joins Minneapolis and Duluth in the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program
As part of the State of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program (CVP), Governor Walz announced a new community vaccination site to launch in Rochester. The large-scale, permanent site will be the third of its kind, joining sites in Minneapolis and Duluth that launched last week. The Rochester site will serve approximately 1,500 Minnesotans 65 and older (65+) in its first week.
Governor Walz Visits Long-Term Care Residence, Highlights Minnesota’s Vaccination Effort
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 On Tuesday, Governor Walz visited a Jones-Harrison long term care center in Minneapolis to highlight Minnesota’s successful vaccination effort in long-term care settings.
Immunizing for impact is one of the cornerstone principles of Minnesota's vaccination effort, and Jones Harrison is setting an example for the state on speedy and effective distribution – administering 400 vaccines last Friday alone.To date, more than 808,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Minnesota.
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This week Minnesotans have expanded access to COVID-19 vaccinations through pharmacies across the state, as the state participates in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Governor Walz also reallocated 8,000 doses for Walgreens to vaccinate Minnesotans 65 years of age and older at 40 in-store pharmacies across the state. The state is developing a diverse, stable network of different ways Minnesotans can get vaccinated so everyone has access to a vaccine opportunity, no matter where they live and no matter their personal circumstances.
Governor Walz Announces New National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call Centers in Minnesota
On Thursday, Governor Walz announced that Minnesota callers seeking support through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will now receive fast, localized support thanks to the opening of four new call centers in Minnesota.
"It is paramount that we prioritize mental health, particularly amid COVID-19," said Governor Walz. "If you need help, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This free, confidential resource is available 24/7 to everyone."
As hospitalizations and the COVID-19 positivity rate continue to decline and the state makes progress in vaccinating those most vulnerable, Governor Walz today signed Executive Order 21-07 to continue supporting Minnesota’s economic recovery and make adjustments to COVID-19 mitigation measures.
“Our small businesses have made enormous sacrifices for the health of their employees and communities,” said Governor Walz. “Today, we can make these cautious, common sense adjustments to support them because of the progress we have made controlling the spread of COVID-19 and getting the most at-risk Minnesotans vaccinated.”
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 Last week, Governor Walz announced that since the initial launch of the exposure notification system COVIDaware MN on November 23, 2020, more than one million Minnesotans have opted-in to the COVIDaware MN system.COVIDaware MN notifies you if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, and you can anonymously alert others if you test positive.
Get the COVIDaware MN app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
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