March 8th COVID-19 Update

Massachusetts continues to build infrastructure and increase availability of the COVID-19 vaccine for residents. According to the CDC, MA now ranks 11th in the U.S. in doses administered per 100,000 residents, and the state Department of Public Health reports that, as of March 4th, 17.2% of Middlesex County residents and 16.2% of Worcester County residents have received at least their first dose of the vaccine.

Beginning this Thursday, March 11th, all K-12 educators, child care workers, and K-12 school staff will become eligible for the vaccine. Educators can sign up online through the Massachusetts vaccine website, as well as directly through CVS pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. This effort supports the broader state and federal push to return to safely return students to full-time in-person instruction, and you can read more about the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s return-to-school plans and guidance here. You can read more about the announcement here.

All Phase 1 and Phase 2 individuals who are eligible can sign up online at mass.gov/covidvaccine or get assistance by calling the 2-1-1 helpline 7 days a week. There are now 7 mass vaccination sites in Massachusetts, as well as 11 regional collaboratives supporting local distribution, and new appointments are being uploaded daily and weekly. As new information about Phase 2 of vaccine distribution and beyond gets continuously updated, I will be sure to share any new information as soon as it becomes available.

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 892 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 559,975 total cases and 18 reported deaths as of today at 5pm.
• The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,327, and the average number of deaths is 40.
• The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 1.7%.
• 41,062 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 3/8)

• Hospitalization: 672 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, an increase of 7 from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 716.
• Hospital Capacity: 20% of the Commonwealth’s non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (27% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 20% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (32% 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 34,723 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 8,686 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, 309,340 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered. To date, 1,868,847 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in MA.
• Last week, 324,700,750 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were shipped to Massachusetts. To date, 2,298,600 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: 654 (+18 from last week); moderate risk
• Hopkinton: 674 (+17); moderate risk
• Southborough: 403 (+6); moderate risk
• Westborough: 1,294 (+16); 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.
• 479 new COVID-19 cases associated with higher education testing were reported last week. 12,660 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: 1 student, 0 staff
• Nboro-Sboro: 0 students, 0 staff
• Westborough: 0 students, 1 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/territories: Hawaii, Missouri, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington
• Removed last week: None
• Added last week: Missouri, Oregon, Washington

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.