February 5th COVID-19 Update

I know that many of you have expressed confusion or frustration with the flow of COVID-19 vaccine information for Phase 2 individuals over the last few weeks. Providing clear, accurate, and transparent information to the public is a key part of our pandemic response and I share your concern with the rollout of this phase of the vaccine.

Earlier this week, the MetroWest and Central MA legislative delegations wrote to Governor Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito, and Secretary Sudders to express our concerns and request information about the rollout of the virus in our communities. You can read the full letter, which details many of the key concerns I’ve received from constituents, here.

Today, the Baker administration announced that it was incorporating a vaccine appointment call center for residents over 75 who are having trouble scheduling an appointment online into the 2-1-1 phone service. The call center will be staffed with over 500 representatives who can provide live phone support to assist residents with booking an appointment. The line will be open Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Live call center workers will be available in English and Spanish, and 100 additional languages will be available through translators. Call center workers will have the same access to appointments that users will see on the public website – this service will not provide additional availability or new appointments not previously available online.

The line can be accessed by dialing 2–1–1 and selecting the prompt for “Help Scheduling a Vaccine Appointment.” Residents may have to wait on the line given expected high call volume. Once connected with a representative, the caller will be asked to confirm he/she is 75 or older and either has no internet access or otherwise cannot use the website to book an appointment. Call-takers will then use the state’s COVID-19 vaccine site map to find nearby locations and determine whether appointments are available. If no appointments are available within a distance the caller can travel, then callers will be offered the chance to be placed on a call-back list for the mass vaccination sites. Residents will receive a call-back as appointments become available at these sites. Due to high demand and limited supply, callers may experience significant wait times.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, visit mass.gov/covidvaccine.

News Updates

Below is a summary of the most recent efforts to respond to the wide range of needs in our communities. For a summary of previously issued guidance and state restrictions related to the coronavirus epidemic, visit mass.gov/covid19. For previous updates visit carolyndykema.com/covid19.

Coronavirus Testing and Response

• Today, the state saw 2,982 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 510,148 total cases and 74 reported deaths as of today at 5pm.
• The average new cases over the last 7 days is 2,644, and the average number of deaths is 58.
• The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 3.2%.
• 127,468 new molecular tests for COVID-19 were reported in the Commonwealth today.
• The Department of Public Health regularly releases a daily reporting dashboard containing detailed information on hospitalizations, demographic data, and county-by-county breakdowns of cases. To view the DPH dashboard, visit here.

Heath Care (as of 2/5)

• Hospitalization: 1,503 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, no change from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 1,632.
• Hospital Capacity: 16% of the Commonwealth’s non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (23% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 19% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (25% of regional ICU beds are available).
• Long-term care: There are 421 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 34,147 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 8,206 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in long-term care facilities.
• For information on COVID-19 testing and guidance on whether you should get tested, how to get tested, and where to get tested, visit the COVID-19 testing portal at mass.gov/gettested.

Vaccine Distribution

• Last week, 149,030 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered. To date, 681.472 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in MA.
• Last week, 112,550 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were shipped to Massachusetts. To date, 896,300 doses have been shipped to MA.
• For more information, you can review the weekly COVID-19 vaccine report on this page.

Local Update

• This week’s public health report contains town-by-town numbers on positive cases in each community, as well as a color-coded risk assessment for each city or town. This week’s numbers for the towns of the 8th Middlesex District can be found below, and the full weekly public health report can be found here.
• Holliston: 591 (+19 from last week); moderate risk
• Hopkinton: 612 (+23); moderate risk
• Southborough: 369 (+17); higher risk
• Westborough: 1,162 (+55); moderate risk

Education

• The interactive data dashboard now contains weekly information on testing and positive cases in Massachusetts-based colleges and universities, which can be found here.
• 1,044 new COVID-19 cases associated with higher education testing were reported last week. 9,753 total cases have been reported associated with higher education testing.
• The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education now reports student and staff positive cases reported by school districts within the last week. These reports count all positive cases among students participating in-person or hybrid learning models, and staff who have been in a school building within 7 days of a positive test. Last week’s report and reporting definitions can be found here.
• Holliston: 0 students, 0 staff
• Hopkinton: 0 students, 0 staff
• Southborough: 0 students, 2 staff
• Northboro-Southboro: 1 student, 1 staff
• Westborough: 7 students, 4 staff

Travel

• The state’s COVID-19 travel order, which requires testing or self-quarantine for all visitors and returning residents from all higher-risk U.S. states, is updated weekly based on new public health data from around the country. Information on the order can be found here and information on changes to the state risk designations can be found below.
• Lower-risk states: Hawaii
• Removed last week: None
• Added last week: None

Local and State Resources

Town Resources

All of the towns in the 8th Middlesex District have centralized COVID-19 resource pages with resources, updates, and alerts regarding town services.

Holliston | Hopkinton | Southborough | Westborough

Job/Income Loss Resources

COVID-19 is also causing broad disruption to the economy which is affecting incomes of many residents and families. There are a number of State resources and supports available to support workers who may find themselves unemployed or otherwise income-constrained during this uncertain time. 

Guide for job/income loss resources: https://carolyndykema.com/covid19-state-resources

Department of Unemployment Assistance

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
• CARES Act Unemployment Changes
• Unemployment Town Halls

Department of Transitional Assistance

• Pandemic-EBT benefits for schoolchildren

Statewide Information

Information on the state of emergency and related orders can be found here.

• Face covering advisory
• Large gatherings/social distancing advisory

Reopening guidance can be found at mass.gov/reopening. 

• Sector-specific guidance
• Health care-specific guidance
• “When can my business reopen” chart

Information on COVID-19 testing can be found at mass.gov/gettested.