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
MBTA to be Funded at Pre-Pandemic Levels
An MBTA spokesperson announced today that 100% of pre-pandemic service hours will be funded in the FY22 budget. However, service won’t be immediately restored when the fiscal year begins on July 1. Read more here.
MA Vaccination Updates
Joint Committee on Covid-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management
Oversight Hearing
The Joint Committee on Covid-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management held a virtual oversight hearing today on Vaccine Rollout and Emergency Response Structure and Planning. Legislators went back and forth with Governor Baker and his administration on the decision-making and evaluation processes behind the vaccine rollout. Read more here.
Resources for Booking and Getting to Your Appointment
Online: Preregister 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!
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.
For more details and updates on vaccination priorities, please visit mass.gov/CovidVaccine.
The City of Cambridge has announced that it will not advance to Phase IV, Step 1 of the Commonwealth’s Reopening Plan. The City will restrict gathering limits for event venues and in public settings to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Learn more here.
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 tomorrow, 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 the Cambridge Council on Aging by calling 617-349-6220. They are 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 tonight, 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.
National Updates
AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Data Questioned
Federal health officials announced today that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial results may have been based on “outdated information.” The company responded that it will release more results later this week. Read more here.
Baker Press Conference Updates
Governor Baker did not hold a press conference today. You can watch the Governor's latest COVID-19 updates here.
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.
If you or a loved one are struggling, please know that you are not alone. Here are some great 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 Ave, 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."
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:
