With colder weather driving gatherings indoors, Thanksgiving right around the corner and a pandemic with residual effects that rattle the economy, supply chain, travel, shopping and keep our hospitals jammed up with COVID cases. Late Fall and Winter seem to be COVID'S favorite time of year.

According to WCCO, the Minnesota Department of Health's daily update, Minnesota's total number of Minnesotans infected with COVID is 827,658 so far since the beginning of the pandemic. 8,968 Minnesotans have died so far from COVID-19. Even though there have been 5,123 new cases and 43 deaths in the past 24 hours, it could be worse.

“While we’re making progress, there is still more work to do to make sure every Minnesotan can get their shot, and we’re not slowing down. Now that every Minnesotan 5 years of age and older can get the vaccine, we’re expanding our community clinic mission in school buildings to make sure every child and family in Minnesota can get protection from COVID-19. My deepest gratitude to our community partners who continue to serve Minnesotans everywhere,” Walz said.

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With the holidays near, the last thing we want to hear about is a spike in cases here in Minnesota. “This spike is bad, it’s scary,” MDH Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said. “But it would be so much worse…if it weren’t for the fact that most Minnesotans now do have the protection of the vaccine.”

So far, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, just over 67% of the state's residents 5 years old and older have received at least one shot of a vaccine and 95.7% of Minnesotans over 65 have received at least one shot.

Just because it's the holidays, please don't let your guard down. Be safe and make your holiday experience as enjoyable and safe as possible.

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