Minnesota health officials have reported 1,640 new COVID-19 cases, along with 33 additional deaths.

On the vaccine front, an additional 8,708 state residents have received at least the first dose, bringing the total to 162,040.

Vaccination sites are giving 13,000 to 14,000 shots during the weekdays and that includes second doses as well. But activity drops sharply over the weekends, with only about 4,900 shots given last Saturday and Sunday.

"We are ready to get more vaccines out very quickly, but now we desperately need the federal government to step up and provide us with more vaccine," Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Thursday.

Minnesota has been receiving shipments of the required second dose that is needed to provide immunity protection. So far, 24,745 people have gotten the second shot.

But state officials still don't know if the federal government will increase the number of first doses allocated to the state.

"What is unclear to us ... is the amount of available vaccine that is in fact additional vaccine above and beyond doses that had been reserved for second doses," she said.

Federal officials have allocated another 68,625 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Minnesota and that amount is slightly higher than the recent average of 60,000 doses.

So far, the pandemic has sickened 443,562 Minnesotans and led to 5,850 deaths.

Of the newly reported deaths, 18 were residents of long-term care facilities.

Most people who become ill from the coronavirus experience mild or no symptoms. An estimated 422,289 of those sickened are considered to be no longer infectious.

People with underlying health conditions, including heart, lung and kidney disease, are more likely to develop serious complications that require medical attention.

The number of people needing hospitalization for COVID-19 complications continues to decline. A total of 612 patients were getting care, down from 724 a week earlier. Intensive care beds were filled with 125 patients, down from 132 in the prior week.

Statewide, 88% of the 1,212 intensive care beds were occupied with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.

Diagnostic laboratories reported 46,861 test results to state officials, an increase from 36,666 the previous day.

Glenn Howatt • 612-673-7192