The rollout of the coronavirus vaccines in Massachusetts has gone largely as planned with just a few minor glitches along the way, Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday as the state’s death toll surpassed 12,000.
About 78,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered statewide as of Tuesday, and an estimated 20,000 people who live and work at long-term care facilities should be vaccinated at one of 50 vaccination clinics by the end of this week, the Republican governor said at a news conference.
“The progress obviously in this respect shows that while it is lumpy and bumpy, which we said it would be, it’s moving forward and it speaks well with what’s ahead with respect to 2021,” he said.
The state has already received 86,000 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 146,000 initial doses of the Moderna vaccine, with another 68,000 doses of the Pfizer product allocated to the CVS and Walgreen pharmacy chains, he said.
“This is the largest rollout of a vaccination program in U.S. history and it can’t happen fast enough,” he said. The state is expected to get about 300,000 doses of the vaccines by the end of the year.
The initial rollout includes inoculating residents and staff at two state-run, long-term care facilities for veterans, both of which ere ravaged by the coronavirus in the spring.
About 150 residents of the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home, 118 residents of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, as well about 200 staffers combined, have received their first doses, according to Marylou Sudders, the state Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Medical professionals will return to both facilities on Jan. 19 to administer the required second dose.
The Holyoke home had one of the country’s deadliest virus outbreaks at a long-term care facility. Seventy-six residents died after contracting the virus in the spring and a 77th died earlier this month.
More than 30 residents of the Chelsea home died after contracting the disease.
Sudders also said that a second field hospital in Lowell to deal with an anticipated post-holiday surge in new cases is expected to open Jan. 4.
___ NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTIES
Baker reminded people not to hold or attend New Year’s Eve parties to prevent spread of the virus.
“Please don’t host big New Year’s gatherings at your own home,” he said, reiterating that there is a current limit of 10 people for indoor gatherings and 25 people for outdoor gatherings.
“If you do do anything, try to do it outside and be brief,” wear a mask and maintain social distancing, he said.
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FIREFIGHTER VACCINE CONCERNS
The head of the statewide firefighters union said the state’s plan to get firefighters vaccinated against the coronavirus lacks “coordination and communication.”
Richard MacKinnon Jr., president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, said the state is leaving the vaccinations of first responders up to local boards of health, with varying results.
“It just seems like there’s been a lack of plan,” MacKinnon told the Boston Herald on Tuesday. “It’s just an overall lack of coordination and communication.”
The state should be setting up vaccination centers and training the firefighters themselves - many of whom already are EMTs or paramedics - to administer the vaccine to their colleagues.
A spokeswoman for the state COVID-19 Response Command Center said in a statement that the state is working with local health departments, local hospitals and other medical providers to figure out the capacity to vaccinate people - and to identify sites where first responders can be vaccinated.
Baker said there is a meeting scheduled for Thursday to discuss vaccinating first responders, which he expects to start next week.
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VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS
Massachusetts public health officials reported 6,135 new confirmed cases on Wednesday and 118 new confirmed deaths, pushing the state’s death toll to 12,076.
More than 2,200 people were hospitalized, more than 400 in intensive care, the state Department of Public Health said.
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