COVID-19: April 23, 2021 Update from Representative Dykema

April 23rd COVID-19 Update

As of this week, all Massachusetts residents over the age of 16 are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is free and open to all who live, work, or study in Massachusetts.

All residents are encouraged to pre-register at vaccinesignup.mass.gov. All mass vaccination sites are included in the pre-registration system, as well as some regional collaboratives including the Westborough collaborative serving all four communities in the 8th Middlesex District. More sites are being added to the pre-registration pool on a weekly basis. Those who are eligible and looking for appointments may also search for available slots at vaxfinder.mass.gov. Those with questions or wanting more information can visit mass.gov/covidvaccine.

As of yesterday, Massachusetts has administered over 5.3 million total doses, and this week over 2 million Massachusetts residents are now considered fully vaccinated. We are consistently receiving over 600,000 new doses each week from the federal government, and Massachusetts is currently ranked 6th of 50 states for vaccine doses administered per capita by the CDC.

We are making excellent progress in ensuring that we can stop the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of serious illness among our most vulnerable residents, but we must continue to take the pandemic seriously and follow all local and state public health guidance. Thank you for all you are doing to keep yourselves, your families, and our communities safe and healthy.

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 1,452 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 637,928 total cases and 13 reported deaths as of today at 5pm.
  • The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,345, and the average number of deaths is 12.
  • The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 2.0%.
  • 92,155 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 4/23)

  • Hospitalization: 744 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, a decrease of 1 from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 683.
  • Hospital Capacity: 13% 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, 14% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (28% 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 35,050 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 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, 526,662 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered. To date, 5,303,005 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in MA.
  • 758,850 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were shipped to Massachusetts. To date, 6,270,220 doses have been shipped to MA.
  • For more information, you can review the weekly COVID-19 vaccine report on this page.

Local Update

  • Town-by-town numbers on positive cases in each community, as well as a color-coded risk assessment for each city or town, can be found below. This week’s numbers for the towns of the 8th Middlesex District can be found below, and city and town data is now included in the general COVID-19 daily dashboard, which can be found here.
  • Holliston: 768 (+16 from last week); moderate risk
  • Hopkinton: 871 (+31); moderate risk
  • Southborough: 481 (+6); moderate risk
  • Westborough: 1,529 (+20); 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.
  • 435 new COVID-19 cases associated with higher education testing were reported last week. 17,092 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.
  • There was no DESE report this week due to the school vacation. Reporting of positive tests in K-12 schools resumes next week.

Travel

  • The state’s travel order has been replaced with a statewide travel advisory. More information, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found at mass.gov/covidtravel.
  • Visitors to Massachusetts are still urged to quarantine or receive a negative test result within 72 hours of arrival unless they have been fully vaccinated over 14 days before arrival; however, reporting requirements and noncompliance penalties are no longer in effect.

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

Department of Transitional Assistance

Statewide Information

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

Reopening guidance can be found at mass.gov/reopening

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

Press Release

Leave a Comment





Categories