I am forwarding this because it has some new, useful info.

From: Marjorie Decker <repdecker@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <repdecker@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 5:21 PM
To: Ruth Ryals <rryals@comcast.net>
Subject: Tuesday March 16 COVID-19 Updates

Dear all,

I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources.

National Updates

First Children Receive COVID-19 Vaccine in Moderna Study

Moderna shared that the first child participants in their COVID-19 vaccine study have received first doses of the vaccine to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two doses of the vaccine given 28 days apart. Moderna plans to enroll about 6,750 pediatric participants in the U.S. and Canada ages 6 months to less than 12 years.

Expanding the COVID-19 Vaccination Workforce

The Biden Administration wants to provide states and territories nationwide with the flexibility needed to expand their vaccination workforce to ensure that every American who wants to be vaccinated can receive their vaccine quickly. States and territories are encouraged to further expand the categories of individuals authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines in their states or territories, as authorized under the PREP Act.

State Updates

8,000 Unexpected Doses Of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine Coming To MA

The Commonwealth is getting 170,000 first doses of COVID vaccines this week, including 8,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that weren’t expected to arrive until the end of the month. The 170,000 first doses of COVID vaccines does not include vaccines sent to locations like CVS under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. For more information, click here.

CVS MinuteClinics Offering Antibody Tests in MA

CVS announced that all CVS MinuteClinics across the Commonwealth are now offering COVID-19 antibody testing, in advance of a national launch on Friday, April 2, 2021. The COVID-19 antibody tests will return results in about 15 minutes and will cost $38. Read more here.

MA Vaccination Updates

Appointment Notifications for Preregistered Residents Coming Soon

Eligible residents who preregistered for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the state website will begin receiving appointment notifications this week. Officials expect that it will take several weeks for eligible people to be offered an opportunity to book an appointment.

Resources for Booking and Getting to Your Appointment

· Online: Go to vaxfinder.mass.gov/, or book directly with a pharmacy at cvs.com or walgreens.com. You can also visit macovidvaccines.com, which is not an official site but is more user-friendly than the state site.

· Phone: Call 2-1-1 between 8:30 AM-8:00 PM Monday-Thursday or 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Friday-Sunday and select the prompt for “help scheduling a vaccine appointment.” This multilingual service is for residents who don’t have Internet access or have trouble using the Internet.

· Need help? For detailed information about how to make an appointment, including updates about specific health care providers, see the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services vaccine resources page. You can also visit macovidvaxhelp.com, which is an unofficial site staffed by volunteers for eligible individuals who are unable to book vaccine appointments on their own.

· Need a ride? Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is offering free transportation for local adults aged 65+ to COVID-19 vaccination sites in Cambridge and Somerville as well as Fenway Park and CHA Malden. For more information, click here. To register for a ride, call SCES at 617-628-2601 or email info@eldercare.org.

· The City of Cambridge has published accessibility information for the state’s mass vaccination sites. You can find it here.

Don’t forget to book your second appointment while you’re getting your first dose!

Daily COVID-19 Vaccination Report

The Department of Public Health is now publishing a Daily COVID-19 Vaccine Report in addition to its Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Report. Information as of Monday, March 15, 2021:

Total doses administered: 2,522,847

Total cumulative doses shipped to MA: 2,835,270

Vaccination Timeline

Massachusetts is currently in the middle of Phase Two of the vaccine rollout.

For more details and updates on vaccination priorities, please visit mass.gov/CovidVaccine.

FAQs

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has a Frequently Asked Questions site that is continually updated as they receive new questions. You may access the FAQs here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccine-frequently-asked-questions. Questions can be submitted to COVID-19-Vaccine-Plan-MA@mass.gov.

Cambridge Updates

Voices for Justice featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Cambridge Public Library (CPL) Foundation is hosting a Voices for Justice event series to support the CPL's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives. This virtual event features New York Times best-selling author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with award-winning journalist Callie Crossley of GBH News Boston’s Under the Radar. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 7:30 PM on Zoom. For more information and to register, click here.

Apply to Be Part of Starlight Square Season Two

The Starlight Square Steering Committee is now accepting applications for its Spring/Summer season. Anyone interested in organizing programming, performances or events can respond to the request for proposals here; applications are due by Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 11:59 PM. Read more here.

Translation Resources Available

Multilingual city resources and information on COVID-19 are available on the City's multilingual help page.

Today’s Case Count

Massachusetts

Total Cases: 570,638

New Cases: 1,018

Total Deaths: 16,355

Tests Today: 16

Cambridge

Total Cases: 5130

New Cases: 2

Total Deaths: 121

The state has created an interactive dashboard, including the percentage of COVID-19 positive cases and testing rates by city and town. The dashboard can be viewed here.

For Harvard University COVID-19 information, click here.

For MIT COVID-19 information, click here.

Baker Press Conference Updates

Governor Baker did not hold a press conference today. You can watch the Governor's latest COVID-19 updates here.

Cambridge COVID Testing Sites

Mental Health Services and Resources

If you or a loved one are struggling, please know that you are not alone. Here are some great resources:

Where to Give

On Fridays, Cambridge CoHousing will be collecting food either in a paper bag or small box for the Chelsea Food Collaborative. Drop off is between 9 AM and 2:30 PM at the entrance to CoHousing at 175 Richdale Ave, Cambridge, MA. If you don't see someone at the moment you arrive, please leave it just inside the gate where we will have boxes marked "For Chelsea."

Transition House in Need of Emergency Donations

· Make a donation

· Order from their wishlist

If you are able to give to others during this time, I encourage you to look to additional places that are working to help those most affected by COVID-19:

· Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund

· Cambridge Health Alliance

· Cambridge Community Center

· Cambridge Community Foundation

· Food for Free

· Chelsea Food Collaborative

· Greater Boston Food Bank

· Hospitality Workers COVID-19 Emergency Fund

· Cradles to Crayons Emergency Essentials Fund

· Mount Auburn Hospital

· The One Chelsea Fund

I also encourage you to donate to the following organizations that are engaging in racial justice work: