MARSHALL — While Minnesota officials said opening up the vaccine eligibility was a big step forward in fighting the COVID pandemic, it doesn’t yet look like there will be changes in how area residents go about getting vaccinated.

On Friday, vaccine providers in Marshall said they were still directing people to sign up for COVID vaccine appointments in advance, either online or over the phone. Statewide vaccine availability will also still have an impact on how quickly people will be able to get their shots, Gov. Tim Walz said at a Friday press conference.

“This does not mean you’re necessarily going to get this (vaccine) next week. It means you’re in line,” Walz said. However, he said next week Minnesota will be seeing a “dramatic” increase in the amount of vaccine the federal government will be able to deliver.

“Today is one of those days where we can start to make the big leap forward,” Walz said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for the state of Minnesota.”

Walz said Friday that Minnesota has made good progress on vaccinating vulnerable populations. Across the state, more than 80% of people age 65 and older and 66% of teachers and child care workers have been vaccinated for COVID-19, he said.

Walz said the vaccine “fast lane” would still be open for priority groups like seniors, people with underlying medical conditions and essential workers. “But what this allows us to do, and with the number of vaccines the state of Minnesota is getting, if no one’s in that lane our providers will move to the next lane,” Walz said. “What we want to do is, we want to keep that queue loaded.”

In the Marshall area, vaccine providers said Friday that they are still urging eligible residents to sign up for appointments for COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re getting calls every day yet,” said Sandy Murphy, pharmacist at GuidePoint Pharmacy in Marshall. However, she said the wait list now is shorter than it was. “We’re going to a lot of businesses too.”

Stacy Neubeck, communications partner at Avera Marshall Medical Center, said people interested in making a vaccination appointment through Avera Marshall can call 507-532-9661 to be put on the wait list.

COVID vaccination availability will depend on when Avera Marshall receives allotments of vaccine doses, Neubeck said. However, with expanded vaccine eligibility, “It makes it more feasible for us to roll out vaccines quickly,” she said.

Murphy said another factor that could affect who is able to make a vaccination appointment is the type of COVID-19 vaccine available at a given provider. Currently only the vaccine made by Pfizer is approved for 16- and 17-year-olds, but GuidePoint has been receiving allotments of Moderna vaccine, she said. “The state kind of picks which one we get.”

Other COVID vaccine providers in Marshall, including Thrifty White Pharmacy, Hy-Vee Pharmacy and Walmart Pharmacy, are currently directing people to sign up for vaccinations online.

Hundreds of people have been receiving COVID-19 vaccinations this week. At the MERIT Center in Marshall, the state held a one-time COVID-19 vaccination clinic directed at food plant workers. Avera held its most recent vaccine clinics earlier this week in Marshall, Tyler and Granite Falls. Around 396 people were vaccinated through the Marshall clinic, Neubeck said. She said some area employers have also reached out to Avera Marshall about vaccinating their employees.

The Minnesota Department of Health said the public is encouraged to use the state vaccine locator at https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine, or contact their health care provider or a local pharmacy to find a vaccine provider near them.

People who signed up for the state’s Vaccine Connector will be informed of vaccine opportunities in their area. They may also be randomly chosen to make a vaccine appointment at one of the state’s Community Vaccination Program locations, the MDH said. If you are selected for a COVID vaccination appointment, you will be notified by text, email or phone call by a state vaccination partner like Vault Health, Primary Bio or SpecialLysts.