Wolgamott Weekly Update - Public Health Guidance & Vaccine Eligibility

Dear Granite City Neighbors, 

Happy Friday! With committee deadlines bearing down, it’s been another intense and action-packed week here at the State Capitol.

Here’s what you need to know:

Vaccine Eligibility

Minnesota’s goal was to vaccinate 70% of those age 65 and over by the end of March. We hit that goal this week! This is in large part thanks to the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the tenacity of those who were eligible in our community to do their part and get their shot to keep themselves and their neighbors safe. 

Minnesotans who are now eligible to receive a vaccine include the following:

• People with certain underlying conditions, including sickle cell disease, down syndrome, and oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
• People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
• Food processing plant workers

These groups will receive priority, but providers may offer available appointments to others who are eligible, including Minnesotans from the next tier:

• People 45 or older with one or more of the underlying medical conditions identified by the CDC
• People 16 or older with two or more of the underlying conditions
• People 50 or older in multi-generational housing
• Essential frontline workers, including airport staff, child care workers who weren’t previously eligible, first responders, judicial system workers, public health workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, and those who work in agriculture; correctional settings; food production, retail, or service; manufacturing, and public transit.

If you haven’t yet, I’d encourage you to sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to get regular updates on vaccine availability and eligibility. In some cases, your employer will have more information on vaccine availability, and it’s a good idea to be in touch with your health care provider too. Vaccine supplies from the federal government are increasing, and this progress represents one more step towards the end of the pandemic.

Brighter Days Coming this Monday

More Minnesotans being safely vaccinated means that greater capacity can be reached for our businesses and gatherings - but it remains incredibly important that we continue to stay socially distant, wear a mask, and continue all the practices that have kept us safe and healthy over the past year. With that in mind, some welcome change is coming to our public health guidelines on Monday.

You can read about the specific changes to Minnesota’s Stay Safe Plan here. 

Fighting for the Pandemic’s Frontline Responders

The public safety and health care heroes that kept our state together in the darkest stages of this pandemic need our help. Despite increased vaccinations, these frontline responders are still in some of the most vulnerable positions when it comes to being exposed to COVID-19, and they deserve to have their pandemic workers’ comp benefits extended. 

A bill I wrote and passed into law last year provided the presumption that these Minnesotans, should they get sick or exposed to COVID-19, did so in the line of duty, and were therefore eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. At the time, no one could say how long the pandemic would last, and part of the negotiations included the bill expiring on May 1 of this year. That’s clearly not acceptable. 

This week, my bill to extend that deadline by one year passed through committee, bringing it one step closer to a vote on the House Floor, and hopefully swiftly being passed into law. I’m extremely proud to be supported by the vast coalition of firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, nurses, doctors, correctional officers, and the child care providers that looked after their children - all of whom would benefit from this bill. 

It’s time to get this over the finish line for the Minnesotans that continue to keep us all safe. You can read more about the hearing where this bill advanced with unanimous support here. 

Stay Connected

It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through our legislative session. If you have any questions or comments on our work in the Minnesota House, please feel free to email me at rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn, or give me a call at (651) 296-6612. You can also follow along with my work on my member page, “like” my official facebook page, and subscribe to and share these legislative updates. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Rep. Dan Wolgamott