Gov Baker’s Update on COVID Numbers and Vaccine Rollout

At a press conference this afternoon at Fenway Park, Governor Charlie Baker gave an update on the state’s COVID-19 response.  The Gov said yesterday the Department of Public Health reported 1,963 new cases of the virus out of 61,265 new tests.  Touting the state as “a national leader in testing” Mass is well over 13 million tests conducted in the state.

Baker went on to say that there have been significant reductions in hospitalizations with 1,631 COVID-19 patients in the hospital with 353 in Intensive Care.  According to Baker hospitalizations are down 31% since the peak on January 4^th with ICU numbers down 20% since the peak on January 12^th.

On the vaccine front, Baker said 654,104 vaccines have been administered as of Monday and 1-million doses have been distributed throughout the state.  Baker spoke from the state’s newest vaccination site...Fenway Park that began jabs on Monday and has administered 1,200 vaccines so far with 500 shots expected in arms each day this week, 1,000 per day next week and 1,200 doses per day the following week.  In the near future Baker expects the Fenway site to stick 8,000 vaccines in arms per week.  Fenway is the 2^nd major site launched in the Bay State.  Baker is looking to have at least 7 total sites across the state “in the not-so-distant future”.

Gillette Stadium administered 23,000 since it opened and in Springfield at the Eastside Mall 2,741 have been administered since opening last Friday.  A new site in Danvers opens today.  The Governor encouraged residents to visit the Massachusetts Vaccination sites to schedule an appointment or to get information about eligibility.  New appointments are available online every Thursday.  Baker expects 55,000 appoints to be made this week for shots in the arm next week at Mass vaccination sites.  Other location sites include pharmacies, grocery stores and other partners are also main contributors to the vaccine effort bring the state’s expected total to 120,000 vaccines in arms per week.  There are 125 sites in operation with that number expected to grow to 165 by the middle of the month.  Baker warned it could take up to a couple of weeks to get an appointment if you are in the approved priority group.

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