Monday March 22 COVID-19 Updates

Dear all,

I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources. As a reminder, I will be holding virtual office hours this week at the following times:

Thursday, March 25, 2021, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Friday, March 26, 2021, from 10:00 - 11:00 AM

The first half hour of office hours will be open to all who wish to join. The second half hour will be reserved for 1:1 appointments for those who have matters that they wish to discuss privately. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form or call my office at 617-722-2060.

State Updates

CommonWealth Magazine Codcast Interview with Senator Jo Comerford
This week on the CommonWealth Magazine's Codcast podcast, I joined my co-chair Senator Jo Comerford of the Public Health Committee about inequity, COVID-19, and Beacon Hill's public health priorities. You may listen to the full interview here, and read more about it here.

MA Vaccination Updates

Individuals 60+ years old & workers in certain sectors are now eligible for the vaccine

Beginning today, Monday, March 22, 2021, individuals 60 years old and older and workers in certain sectors are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Learn more and pre-register for an appointment here.

Pre-register for a COVID-19 Vaccine

All remaining groups have a timeline for their eligibility date. Learn more and pre-register here.

Resources for Booking and Getting to Your Appointment

Online: Pre-register for mass vaccination sites at vaccinesignup.mass.gov. All state vaccination sites are online at vaxfinder.mass.gov/, or you can book directly with a pharmacy at cvs.com or walgreens.com. You can also visit macovidvaccines.com, which is not an official site but is more user-friendly than the state site.
Phone: Call 2-1-1 between 8:30 AM-8:00 PM Monday-Thursday or 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Friday-Sunday and select the prompt for “help scheduling a vaccine appointment.” This multilingual service is for residents who don’t have Internet access or have trouble using the Internet.
Need help? For detailed information about how to make an appointment, including updates about specific health care providers, see the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services vaccine resources page. You can also visit macovidvaxhelp.com, which is an unofficial site staffed by volunteers for eligible individuals who are unable to book vaccine appointments on their own.
Need a ride? Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is offering free transportation for local adults aged 65+ to COVID-19 vaccination sites in Cambridge and Somerville as well as Fenway Park and CHA Malden. For more information, click here. To register for a ride, call SCES at 617-628-2601 or email info@eldercare.org.
The City of Cambridge has published accessibility information for the state’s mass vaccination sites. You can find it here.

Don’t forget to book your second appointment while you’re getting your first dose!

Cambridge Vaccination Data

The City of Cambridge has added Cambridge Vaccination Data to its COVID-19 Data Center. Data will be updated weekly on Fridays at 4 PM. Information as of March 19, 2021:

Residents who have received at least 1 dose: 23,199 (21%)

Fully Vaccinated Residents: 14,025 (13%)

Daily COVID-19 Vaccination Report

The Department of Public Health is now publishing a Daily COVID-19 Vaccine Report in addition to its Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Report. Information as of Monday, March 22, 2021:

Total doses administered: 2,952,347

Total cumulative doses shipped to MA: 3,236,230

Vaccination Timeline

Massachusetts is currently in the middle of Phase Two of the vaccine rollout. For more details and updates on vaccination priorities, please visit mass.gov/CovidVaccine.

FAQs

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has a Frequently Asked Questions site that is continually updated as they receive new questions. You may access the FAQs here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccine-frequently-asked-questions. Questions can be submitted to COVID-19-Vaccine-Plan-MA@mass.gov.

National Updates

Vaccine Diplomacy
Last week the Biden administration offered around 4 million total doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which isn't authorized for use in the United States, to Mexico and Canada. The administration has also pledged $4 billion to the global COVAX initiative to help increase supplies to Asia. Read more here.

Cambridge Updates

CPS COVID Conversations on Safety and Health Protocols

The Cambridge Public School Department is partnering with the Department of Public Health and the Mayor’s Office to hold Q&A sessions for CPS families on the subject of safety and health protocols to minimize exposure and spread of COVID-19. They encourage all parents and caregivers, particularly those of students in remote learning, to attend. The first session is Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 6:00 PM for parents and caregivers at Fletcher Maynard Academy, Cambridgeport, Kennedy-Longfellow, and the Cambridge Street Upper School. Register here.

Reminder: Mobile Vaccination Program in Cambridge

Residents of the City of Cambridge who need someone to come to their home to administer the COVID vaccine should contact Susan Pacheco at the Cambridge Council on Aging by email at spacheco@cambridgema.gov or phone at 617-349-6224. She is compiling a list of Cambridge residents to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine through a mobile vaccination program.

Voices for Justice featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Cambridge Public Library (CPL) Foundation is hosting a Voices for Justice event series to support the CPL's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives. This virtual event features New York Times best-selling author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with award-winning journalist Callie Crossley of GBH News Boston’s Under the Radar. The event will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 7:30 PM on Zoom. For more information and to register, click here.

Translation Resources Available

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

Baker Press Conference Updates

Governor Baker did not hold a press conference today. You can watch the Governor's latest COVID-19 updates here.

Today’s Case Count

Massachusetts

Total Cases: 580,683

New Cases: 1,103

Total Deaths: 16,558

Tests Today: 36,869

Cambridge

Total Cases: 5,284

New Cases: 28

Total Deaths: 121

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.

For Harvard University COVID-19 information, click here.

For MIT COVID-19 information, click here.

Cambridge COVID Testing Sites

Mental Health Services and Resources

If you or a loved one are struggling, please know that you are not alone. Here are some great resources:

Cambridge Mental Health Resources

Where to Give

On Fridays, Cambridge CoHousing will be collecting food either in a paper bag or small box for the Chelsea Food Collaborative. Drop off is between 9 AM and 2:30 PM at the entrance to CoHousing at 175 Richdale Avenue, Cambridge, MA. If you don't see someone at the moment you arrive, please leave it just inside the gate where we will have boxes marked "For Chelsea."

Transition House in Need of Emergency Donations:

If you are able to give to others during this time, I encourage you to look to additional 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