By Associated Press - Wednesday, February 24, 2021

BOSTON (AP) - Gov. Charlie Baker said the state is working to improve its vaccine finder website by creating what he described as a “digital waiting room.”

If there is high traffic on the website, those trying to make a vaccine appointment will be placed in the waiting room area.

“It’s the equivalent of creating a line,” the Republican said during a Wednesday press conference. “It’s designed to basically keep the site running.”

Baker said the improvement should be in place Thursday, when new appointments will become available. Those trying to use the site have experienced frustration with demand for vaccine shots vastly outpacing supply in Massachusetts.

Without an increase in doses from the federal government, it should take about a month to get through the latest phase of those eligible for shots, including individuals 65 years old and older, Baker said.

On Thursday, about 50,000 new appointments will be added at mass vaccination sites, including locations at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Springfield, Danvers, Dartmouth and Natick.

Retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens will administer another 20,000 doses next week.

The Baker administration also announced a new $4.7 million initiative Wednesday to promote COVID-19 vaccine equity in the 20 communities most disproportionately harmed by the pandemic.

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MASS VACCINATION SITE

Massachusetts’ sixth mass coronavirus vaccination site opened Wednesday in a building once occupied by an electronics retailer.

The site in the former Circuit City facility in Dartmouth is expected to start by administering about 500 shots per day before increasing to about 2,000 daily doses within several weeks.

It joins mass vaccination sites already up and running in Boston, Foxborough, Danvers, Natick and Springfield.

Eligible residents were able to begin booking appointments online for the Dartmouth site on Feb. 18, but Baker warned that not everyone who wants to book an appointment will be able to right away.

The state is only receiving about 130,000 doses per week, while last week one million new people became eligible for the vaccine, he said Tuesday. Residents can learn more about vaccine eligibility in Massachusetts by visiting the state’s vaccine website.

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HOSPITAL VACCINATIONS

Many Massachusetts hospitals will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations again about a week and a half after the state cut off their supply to concentrate on mass vaccination sites, officials said.

State health officials have reached an agreement with 15 hospitals and health systems to resume supplying vaccinations, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

The Baker administration’s decision on Feb. 11 to halt vaccine supplies to hospitals was widely criticized.

“The administration understands the important role health systems play in the lives of residents of the commonwealth and as such, the command center worked with the Massachusetts Hospital Association to provide a limited supply of vaccines to select hospitals and health systems,” said Kate Reilly, spokesperson for the state’s COVID-19 Response Command Center.

In response to the vaccine cutoff, Mass General Brigham started closing most of the health system’s 12 community vaccination sites. Now they are working to keep the clinics open and will book new appointments beginning March 1.

“We got word from the state that they were able to work on their vaccine distribution and that we’d be able to participate again, which we are obviously very happy with,” said Dr. Tom Sequist, chief patient experience and equity officer at Mass General Brigham.

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NURSING HOME VACCINATIONS

Nursing homes in Massachusetts have significantly reduced the rate and number of coronavirus infections since the start of a widespread vaccination effort, a trade group said Wednesday.

More than 125,000 doses have been administered to nursing home residents and staff in Massachusetts, and since May there has been a 94% reduction in daily infections and an 87% reduction in daily deaths, the Massachusetts Senior Care Association said in a statement.

As of Feb. 18, the seven-day rolling average of new cases among residents and staff in the state’s long-term care facilities was 27, compared to May when it was 426 cases. The seven-day rolling average of new deaths attributed to COVID-19 is 15 per day, compared to 119 per day in May.

Older residents are particularly vulnerable to the disease and bore the brunt of fatalities.

“Nursing home residents, their families and caregivers are very grateful Gov. Baker prioritized long-term care residents and staff in the state’s vaccine rollout,” said Tara Gregorio, the organization’s president. “The data show the vaccines are making a substantial difference in our communities.”

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VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS

The number of newly confirmed coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts rose by 60 on Wednesday, pushing the state’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 15,624 since the start of the pandemic.

The number of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by about 1,800 and its confirmed caseload rose to more than 543,000.

The true number of cases is likely higher because studies suggest some people can be infected and not feel sick.

There were fewer than 900 people reported hospitalized Wednesday because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 220 in intensive care units.

The average age of those hospitalized was 69. There were an estimated 33,000 people with current active cases of COVID-19 in the state.

The number of probable or confirmed COVID-19 deaths reported in long-term care facilities rose to 8,524.

More than 1.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts, including more than 1 million first doses and more than 433,000 second doses.

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