January 19th COVID-19 Update
As the pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our daily lives, I wanted to share some promising news on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process. In Massachusetts, over 200,000 doses of vaccine have already been administered, including 32,984 second doses of the two-stage vaccine. Our supply remains steady, with nearly 350,000 doses shipped to Massachusetts to date.
The Department of Public Health now releases a weekly vaccine report along with its other regularly-reported COVID-19 data. The most recent report (data through January 14) can be found here, and all weekly reports can be downloaded on this page.
Individuals currently eligible for vaccination in Phase 1 can visit mass.gov/CovidVaccineMap to view vaccine locations, including mass vaccination sites, sign-up and eligibility information. Sites will continue to be added with appointments released on a rolling basis.
The first mass vaccination site will be located at Gillette Stadium. The site will open with the capacity to provide 300 vaccines per day, ramping up to administering up to 5,000 vaccines per day over time. To determine if you are eligible and to schedule an appointment, visit CIC Health.
More information on the COVID-19 vaccine, including a schedule for phased distribution and frequently asked questions, can be found at mass.gov/covidvaccine. Questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine can also be emailed to COVID-19-Vaccine-Plan-MA@mass.gov.
As a reminder, this COVID-19 newsletter is now released on a weekly basis. We will continue providing up-to-date daily, weekly, and aggregate data in these newsletters, but if you do want to be sure to follow the COVID-19 numbers on a day-by-day basis, the DPH daily dashboard from which we compile our data can be found here.
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 2,567 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 454,102 total cases and 45 reported deaths as of today at 4pm.
- The average new cases over the last 7 days is 4,518, and the average number of deaths is 69.
- The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 5.9%.
- 55,565 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 1/19)
- Hospitalization: 2,213 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, an increase of 7 from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 2,198.
- Hospital Capacity: 14% of the Commonwealth’s non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (21% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 10% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (20% of regional ICU beds are available).
- Long-term care: There are 419 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 33,022 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 7,789 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.
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: 495 (+53 from last week); higher risk
- Hopkinton: 507 (+66); higher risk
- Southborough: 314 (+31); higher risk
- Westborough: 1,007 (+52); 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.
- 533 new COVID-19 cases associated with higher education testing were reported last week. 7,429 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: 1 student, 2 staff
- Hopkinton: 0 students, 0 staff
- Southborough: 0 students, 0 staff
- Northboro-Southboro: 2 students, 3 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: 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
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.
