Colorado is once again reshuffling its coronavirus vaccine distribution plan, this time bumping older and sicker people up in line and moving down most essential workers who were slated to start getting inoculated next week.

The major changes, announced by Gov. Jared Polis at a news conference on Friday afternoon, will mean that people between the ages of 60 and 64 and people ages 16 to 64 with two or more high-risk conditions will be eligible to receive a vaccine when the state moves into Phase 1b.3 on March 5.

Previously, people ages 60 to 64 were in Phase 2 of Colorado’s vaccine distribution plan.

Grocery store and agricultural workers will also be eligible to receive the vaccine starting next week, when 1b.3 is scheduled to begin. About 950,000 people are estimated to make up the new 1b.3 priority group.

Polis also announced Friday that Coloradans age 50 and older will have access to the vaccine starting in late March, possibly as soon as March 21.

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