March 17th COVID-19 Update

Today, the Baker administration announced the full eligibility schedule for the COVID-19 vaccine for all Massachusetts residents. The remainder of phase 2 individuals will become eligible in the coming weeks, and all individuals will become eligible on April 19th.

The full schedule is as follows:

• Currently eligible: All Phase 1 groups, all individuals over 65, all individuals with 2+ certain medical conditions, all K-12 educators and child care workers.
• Eligible March 22nd: All individuals over 60 and certain essential workers.
• Eligible April 5th: All individuals over 55 and those with 1 eligible medical condition.
• Eligible April 19th: All individuals over 16.

You can pre-register for a vaccine appointment at vaccinesignup.mass.gov. Currently, the program only distributes vaccines available through the Commonwealth’s 7 mass vaccination sites, but more programs will be added to the pre-registration pool in coming weeks. If you become eligible, you can also find a nearby vaccine distribution location at vaxfinder.mass.gov. If you have trouble booking an appointment or need assistance with using the Internet, you can call the statewide 2-1-1 helpline 7 days a week.

It was also announced this week that a regional vaccine collaborative covering 7 communities including Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough, and Westborough was approved to operate out of the Westborough Doubletree location that earlier this year provided vaccines to local first responders. While vaccine supplies for regional collaboratives remain constrained, it is expected that in the long term this site will be able to facilitate the administration of over 750 doses per day.

Please keep in mind that populations becoming eligible does not guarantee an appointment will be immediately available. We are still dependent on the supply of the vaccine we receive from federal sources and it may take several weeks for all individuals within an eligible population to secure appointments.

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 1,640 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 572,278 total cases and 44 reported deaths as of today at 5pm.
• The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,412, and the average number of deaths is 32.
• The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 1.8%.
• 97,965 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 3/17)

• Hospitalization: 620 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, an increase of 1 from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 638.
• Hospital Capacity: 15% of the Commonwealth’s non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (26% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 16% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (29% of regional ICU beds are available).
• Long-term care: There are 424 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 34,818 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 8,797 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.