How long does it take to vaccinate all residents of Olmsted County?

“I hope to see the distribution of the vaccine increase in the near future,” Graham Briggs, Olmsted County Public Health Director, told county commissioners on Tuesday.

Approximately 12% of county residents have been vaccinated in recent weeks, which have focused on essential health teams and long-term care facilities.

RELATED: Pilot Vaccine Program Arrives in Rochester

The county has 18,330 people who received at least one dose of the vaccine, with 2,770 who received both doses, according to the Minnesota Department of Health website.

“It’s starting to be a really significant number,” said Briggs, adding that an increase to 20,000 doses per week could mean complete vaccination in the county in two months.

The hopeful look at a potential increase in distribution arises as new cases of COVID in Olmsted County continue to decline after a November peak and a post-holiday increase.

The county topped 10,000 confirmed cases last week, reaching 10,484 reported on Tuesday. This means that about 6.6% of the population had a confirmed case of the virus, which remains below the state’s 7.9%.

On Tuesday, 393 active cases were reported in the municipality, with the number of COVID-related deaths reaching 75.

Twenty-six city residents remained in the hospital with COVID on Tuesday, with eight needing intensive care beds.

Briggs said the figures point to the importance of continuing to observe vaccination efforts.

He said the high-priority group is due to be closed in the county this week as the state shifts its focus to the second level, which includes health professionals with direct contact with the patient in medical facilities and assisted living people.

After that, Briggs said the county team is likely to be more involved in reaching the third level, including dentists, school nurses and home health professionals.

He said vaccines could start reaching the third group in two weeks, taking another two weeks to offer a first dose to about 3,500 residents.

Briggs said the state’s effort to use Rochester in one of nine pilot programs to test mass vaccination options is likely to increase the number of residents being vaccinated, but the distribution remains limited to available doses.

County commissioners said this means that much of the distribution remains outside the county’s control.

“I’m asking people to be patient,” said Commissioner Gregg Wright.