Minnesota to throw open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility

Tonight it’ll be partly cloudy with lows in the mid-20s to lower 30s, though temps will be 15 to 20 degrees near Lake Superior. For Friday, we're likely to see cloudy skies with highs in the mid-40s to mid-50s. Find the latest on Updraft.

Minnesota will expand COVID-19 vaccination to all state residents 16 and older starting Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for Gov. Tim Walz.

The expansion marks a major milestone in Minnesota's vaccine strategy. Currently, only people with certain underlying health conditions, as well as those with jobs or living arrangements that put them at highest risk of getting COVID-19 have been eligible for vaccination.

Walz plans to outline the changes and the reasons he’s going this direction during a speech late Friday morning.

New COVID-19 cases are still rising up to an average of nearly 1,300 per day, compared to 850 per day two weeks ago.But there is also a rise in testing, underscoring that some, but not all, of the rise in case numbers is because of expanded testing. New cases are rising at a steeper slope than the positivity rate.