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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - There is another positive milestone to report today in the war against the COVID-19 virus.

The Minnesota Department of Health says the number of Olmsted County residents who have been fully vaccinated against the new viral illness is now over 50,000. That represents over 30 percent of the county's total population. The latest report on the state's vaccination program also indicates almost 70,000 Olmsted County residents have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Statewide, over 1.1 million Minnesotans are fully vaccinated and close to 1.8 million have had at least one injection. The percentage of Minnesotans who have finished their vaccinations is now up to about 20 percent.

The health department today reported an additional 11 coronavirus deaths. There were 2075 new cases identified through testing and 18 of those cases were in Olmsted County. Over 30,800 COVID tests were completed in Minnesota on Friday for a daily testing positivity rate of about 6.7 percent. That nearly matches the most recent weekly positivity rate for Olmsted County, which rose slightly last week to 6.8 percent.

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LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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