MINNEAPOLIS  — Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday that Minnesota is expanding eligibility for the coronavirus vaccine after reaching its goal of inoculating at least 70% of people 65 and older.

The state will expand eligibility to the next two phases of Minnesotans at once. Walz said the next two priority groups include people with underlying health conditions and those at a risk of workplace exposure, including about 45,000 people who work at food processing plants.

“We asked most Minnesotans to wait patiently while we protected Minnesotans at higher risk and got shots to at least 70% of our seniors. We will hit that milestone on Wednesday — well ahead of schedule,” Walz said in a statement. “More Minnesotans will now be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, beginning this week.”

The next two phases include about 1.8 million individuals who will be able to get their shots beginning Wednesday.

They include Minnesotans with specific underlying health conditions such as sickle cell disease, Down syndrome, those in cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant and those who have oxygen-dependent chronic lung and heart conditions.

Food processing plant workers and other targeted essential employees are also included.

The next phases also include Minnesotans age 45 years and older with one or more underlying medical conditions as identified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Those individuals 16 years and older with two or more underlying medical conditions and Minnesotans age 50 years and older in multi-generational housing are also eligible.