Friday, January 14, 2022
 On Tuesday, Governor Walz announced the launch of the next phase of the ‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ vaccine incentive program to encourage Minnesota families to get their kids 5- to 11-years-old fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Families who get their 5- to 11-year-old fully vaccinated in January and February can get a $200 Visa gift card. In order to be eligible, Minnesotans 5-11 must receive their first and second dose between January 1 and February 28.
Minnesotans can find more information online.
 On Thursday, Governor Walz announced that the state’s Community Vaccination Clinic at the Mall of America will reach 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered this week, and nearly 840,000 total doses have been administered statewide through the state’s Community Vaccination Clinics.
Minnesotans can find a vaccine or booster shot near them online.
Also on Thursday, Governor Tim Walz announced his intention to provide $40 million in new funding to continue to expand COVID-19 testing resources in Minnesota.
The $40 million will go directly to purchasing COVID-19 rapid tests and getting them in the hands of Minnesotans across the state as quickly as possible. Minnesota is actively negotiating with testing manufactures to increase their supply of rapid testing in the weeks and months ahead. Governor Walz submitted his plan for the funding from the American Rescue Plan to the Legislative COVID-19 Response Commission on Wednesday.
Minnesotans can find a test near them online.
On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced his intention to provide $40 million in new funding to help support hospital staffing to serve Minnesotans across the state during the current surge of COVID-19 cases brought on by the Omicron variant. Governor Walz submitted his plan for the funding from the American Rescue Plan to the Legislative COVID-19 Response Commission on Wednesday.
The $40 million will cover the costs for providers (mostly RNs) who will work 60 hours per week for 60 days to provide care to patients at certain Minnesota hospitals dealing with staffing shortages due to COVID-19.
On Tuesday, Governor Walz announced new measures to address severe staffing shortages affecting the health and safety of older Minnesotans and people with disabilities as the COVID-19 Omicron variant spreads across the state. The actions provide funding for staffing in nursing homes and group homes and for in-home services for people with disabilities. These providers are grappling with severe workforce emergencies amid rapidly rising COVID-19 caseloads.
On Friday, Governor Walz joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher to celebrate a historic investment in Minnesota bridges, made possible by the passage of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
On Wednesday, WalletHub named Minnesota as the fourth best state to raise a family in 2022. The rankings were based on five key indicators: health and safety, education and child care, affordability, socioeconomics, and family fun. Minnesota scored highest in health and safety (#9), affordability (#9), and socioeconomic (#7) categories.
Minnesotans can read more about this ranking online.
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