March 10th COVID-19 Update
Today, the Baker announced a new pre-registration signup tool will be available for the state’s seven mass vaccination sites starting Friday, March 12th. The new system will make it easier to request and book an appointment at a mass vaccination site at a nearby location when they are available. More sites will be added to the preregistration system in the coming weeks.
Eligible residents will complete the online form at mass.gov/COVIDVaccine to request to book an appointment at a mass vaccination site nearby. After completing the form, residents will get a confirmation via their preferred method of contact (text, e-mail, or phone) and receive a weekly update about their status. Residents may opt out of their pre-registration at any time if they secure an appointment elsewhere. When an appointment becomes available at a mass vaccination site, the resident will be notified and will have 24 hours to accept the appointment once it is offered to them. If an appointment is not accepted after 24 hours, the resident will go back into the queue to wait for another appointment. To accommodate older residents and others who are unable to use the form, the pre-registration form allows family members, caregivers or other companions to fill out the form on behalf of someone else. Residents who do not have internet access or someone to fill the form out for them can call 2-1-1 to preregister. Eligible residents only have to complete this process once.
Available appointments will be offered to residents based on their vaccine eligibility and the availability of appointments at mass vaccination sites nearby. Initially, this program is only for the state’s mass vaccination sites; more sites will be added to the pre-registration system in April. Massachusetts receives a very limited supply of vaccine from the federal government each week. Due to high demand and limited supply, there are only a small number of appointments for eligible residents. Given the limited number of available appointments due to constraints on vaccine supply, it could take several weeks for eligible, preregistered residents to receive a notification about an available appointment.
Eligible pre-registered individuals are still encouraged to visit vaxfinder.mass.gov to book appointments at any of the other vaccination sites in the Commonwealth. Pre-registering does not impact your eligibility at other sites, and if you secure an alternative appointment slot, you can update your pre-registration to relinquish your spot. You can find more information on this update 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 1,413 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 562,394 total cases and 53 reported deaths as of today at 5pm.
- The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,311, and the average number of deaths is 36.
- The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 1.8%.
- 93,800 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 3/10)
- Hospitalization: 689 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, a decrease of 15 from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 696.
- Hospital Capacity: 14% 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, 19% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (33% 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 34,761 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 8,707 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.
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