Monday, 2/1 COVID-19 Updates

Dear all,

I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources.

Baker Press Conference Updates

Governor Baker announced today that his administration is updating the COVID-19 vaccination website and that a call center is scheduled to launch later this week. The Governor also said that vaccination sites are trying to honor appointments for this week despite the winter storm and that vaccine allocations for this week have already been delivered to all sites.

Vaccination Updates

I hope that you have seen my newsletter from earlier today that is specifically about the vaccination rollout.

Individuals age 75 and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination as of today and can make appointments at mass.gov/COVIDVaccineMap.

New mass vaccinations sites in Springfield, Danvers, and Boston:

The Springfield site at Eastfield Mall opened on Friday, January 29, 2021.
The Danvers site at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel will open on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.
In collaboration with the City of Boston, a site at the Reggie Lewis Center will open the first week of February.

These are in addition to sites already announced at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.

This past week, 44 new public vaccination sites opened. These include new pharmacy and retail locations such as Big Y, Wegmans, Price Chopper, Retail Business Services at Hannaford and Stop and Shop Pharmacies, and CVS Health. Eleven new restricted vaccination sites opened as well.

In addition, a new call center is being set up to launch next week to help individuals book an appointment.

Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Report

The Department of Public Health's Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Report is updated each Thursday by 5 PM based on information available in the Massachusetts Immunization System. The report includes vaccine distribution numbers by county, as well as age and race/ethnicity breakdowns of those receiving vaccines. Information as of January 28, 2021:

Cumulative doses administered: 496,103
Cumulative Moderna doses shipped to MA: 482,700
Cumulative Pfizer doses shipped to MA: 245,700

You can view the DPH interactive data dashboard here.

Vaccination Timeline

Massachusetts is currently at the beginning of Phase Two of vaccine rollout: the first priority group, individuals aged 75 years or older. Eligible residents can make appointments to receive a vaccine at more than 150 locations across the state including first responder-only sites, mass vaccination sites, regional vaccination sites and participating CVS Health and Walgreens pharmacies. Additional sites will open in more locations on a rolling basis. The map of vaccination sites is here; you can now search by zip code as well.

As the state transitions into Phase Two, the priority groups are:

Individuals 75 or older
Individuals 65 or older or with two or more comorbidities
Early education and K-12 workers, transit, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation and public health workers
Individuals with one comorbidity

Phase Three will expand vaccination efforts to the general public.

For more details and updates on vaccination priorities, please visit https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.

State Updates

As of today, there have been 500,415 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, and there are 2,270 newly reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state today. 88,302 tests have been performed today, and 14,317 have passed away. Learn more here.

In a somber anniversary, today marks one year since the first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. The patient was a UMass-Boston student who had traveled to Wuhan, China and sought medical attention shortly after he returned home. The case has not been linked to any widespread transmission.

The state has created an interactive dashboard, including the percentage of COVID-19 positive cases and testing rates by city and town. The dashboard can be viewed here.

The Mass Cultural Council has launched a second round of financial relief for individuals whose creative practices and incomes have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Grants of $1,500 are now available to Massachusetts individual artists and independent teaching artists/humanists/scientists. The application deadline is tomorrow, February 2, 2021.

Cambridge Updates

As of today, 4,342 Cambridge residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 116 residents have passed away, according to the state's database. Learn more here.

Harvard University COVID-19 information, click here.

MIT COVID-19 information, click here.

Transportation to vaccination sites available for residents 75+

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is offering free transportation, via one of SCES’ transportation providers, for local older adults to nearby COVID-19 vaccination sites. SCES is encouraging those who are eligible to get vaccinated. If you are an older adult (age 60 and up) from Cambridge or Somerville, and you need a ride to your vaccination site, please contact SCES. For more information about the SCES vaccination transportation program, or to register for a ride, call SCES at 617-628-2601 or email info@eldercare.org.

The City of Cambridge announced that it is extending its rollback to a modified Phase II, Step 2 of the Commonwealth's Reopening Massachusetts Plan for one week and will be returning to Phase III, Step 1 effective on Monday, February 8 at 12:00 AM. Sectors including museums, movie theaters, indoor historic sites and indoor recreational activities will be allowed to reopen at that time. Learn more here.

Daily Table

The Daily Table is a nonprofit community grocer dedicated to providing fresh, tasty, convenient, and nutritious food to communities most in need at prices everyone can afford. The grocer offers 50% off fresh produce for SNAP recipients. Daily Table opened its third location in Central Square, 684 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139. Please spread the word for those who could benefit from this amazing new resource. For more information, click here.

Cambridge Library Services

Contactless holds pick-up at all library locations will resume the week of February 8. Holds pickup will resume on Monday, February 8 at Central Square Branch and Valente Branch; Tuesday, February 9 at the Main Library; and Wednesday, February 10 at O'Neill Branch. The full schedule of hours and additional details will be posted on the library website at www.cambridgema.gov/cpl. For assistance, call 617-349-4040 or email library@cambridgema.gov.

Where to Get Tested

Testing appointments through the City's free mobile-testing program are now available at the following locations:

Monday - 50 Church St. 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Tuesday - 50 Church St. 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Wednesday - 2254 Massachusetts Ave, St. John the Evangelist Church, 10:00am - 6:00pm*
Thursday - CambridgeSide in East Cambridge, 11:00am - 7:00pm (Drive-through testing in garage. Enter on First St.)
Friday - 50 Church St. 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturday - Christian Life Center located at 85 Bishop Allen Drive. 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday - CambridgeSide in East Cambridge, 11:00am - 7:00pm (Drive-through testing in garage. Enter on First St.)

You can schedule an appointment online or by calling 617-665-3795.

*According to the Cambridge Public Health Department, COVID-19 testing at 50 Church St., 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. is still happening today despite the snow. However, please note that turnaround time to getting test results may be delayed due to the incoming winter weather.

Translation Resources Available

Multilingual city resources and information on COVID-19 are available on the City's multilingual help page.

Where to Give

Transition House in Need of Emergency Donations

Transition House's mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence in our community. In its first decades, Transition House created the first shelter on the East Coast, a legal services program for battered women, a foster grandparent program, and pioneered school-based teen dating violence intervention curricula and programs. Learn more here.

Today, Transition House provides vital housing options for individuals and families surviving domestic and intimate partner violence in Cambridge. With a 40% increase in emergency housing as a response to the pandemic, and rising expenses, Transition House needs support with their mission now more than ever. If you would like to donate, click here. If you would like to order from their wishlist, click here.

If you are able to give to others during this time, I encourage you to look to the following places that are working to help those most affected by COVID-19:

I also encourage you to donate to the following organizations that are engaging in racial justice work:

As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.

Sincerely,

Marjorie