Officials expect to expand COVID vaccine pool next week

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Minnesota's COVID-19 cases continue to drift upward, with a week-over-week rise for eight of the last 10 days .

The latest data shows an additional 1,300 cases, up by nearly 300 cases from last Wednesday. The weekly seven-day rolling average of new cases has now topped 1,200 for the first time in two months. The positivity rate also topped 5 percent for a third straight day — which has only happened twice in the last 10 weeks.

Vaccinations were down notably week over week in the latest data, as supplies of the third, one-shot Johnson&Johnson vaccine remain stalled.

Deaths remain relatively low, with nine added to the toll in the latest numbers.

Minnesota's health commissioner says she expects state authorities to further expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility next week.

Jan Malcolm says the state is among the nation's leaders in vaccinating older people, and that the time to move into younger populations is close at hand, and providers are asking to be able to vaccinate more people.

Some vaccine providers outside the Twin Cities are reporting hundreds of appointments available each week. The state still has a group of essential workers waiting for eligibility, ahead of the general public.