BOSTON (AP) - Gov. Charlie Baker and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky toured a mass vaccination site at the Hynes Convention Center on Tuesday as the location prepares to dramatically ramp up the number of vaccines it will begin to administer.
Beginning Wednesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin allocating 6,000 doses a day to the site for the next week or so in addition to the 1,000 daily doses being supplied by the state.
Baker also said that some of the doses will be set aside for use in a new mobile vaccination program in hard-hit areas of Boston, Chelsea and Revere.
Baker cautioned against thinking that the increase in vaccinations means the pandemic is over in Massachusetts, pointing to a recent rise in cases.
“While we’re making great progress on vaccines, we can’t let this progress give us a false sense of security about the fight against COVID being over. COVID is still a serious, highly contagious virus with all sorts of new variants that are making it even more challenging,” the Republican said.
Massachusetts still has a mask mandate, he added, urging residents not to let their guard down.
Walensky echoed Baker, cautioning that cases are rising across the country.
“We are just asking you to hang on a little bit longer,” said Walensky, who said she has encouraged all governors to keep mask mandates into effect.
In those states where governors have refused or eased mask mandates, Walensky said she is still encouraging residents to make the decision on their own to use masks.
“We all have to sort of take care and be careful, doing our masks and social distancing as cases rise,” said Walensky, who previously served as chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.
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VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS
There were nearly 1,700 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, while the number of newly confirmed coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts rose by 18.
The new numbers push the state’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 16,808 since the start of the pandemic, while its confirmed caseload rose to nearly 596,000.
The true number of cases is likely higher because studies suggest some people can be infected and not feel sick.
There were more than 700 people reported hospitalized Tuesday because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 170 in intensive care units.
The average age of those hospitalized was 63. There were an estimated 31,000 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 8,934.
Nearly 3.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts, including nearly 2.2 million first doses and more than 1.2 million second doses.
More than 1.3 million people have been fully immunized.
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ANTIQUES SHOW
A small Massachusetts town known for its outdoor summer antiques shows has given the go-ahead for them to resume this year, but not everyone is on board.
The Brimfield Select Board voted Monday to allow this year’s Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Shows and Flea Markets to go on after the town’s Health Board met last week with state officials to discuss the logistics of the shows, which bring tens of thousands of people to town to shop a mile-long stretch of markets, The Telegram & Gazette reported.
This year’s three shows are scheduled for May 11-16, July 13-18, and Sept. 7-12. Last year’s shows were canceled because of the pandemic.
Some of the promoters who provide the space for vendors said they will opt out of the May show citing COVID-19 safety concerns.
“It would be impossible to conduct a successful show for either our vendors or our shoppers under the current regulations,” said Klia Ververidis, spokesperson for the Brimfield Show Promoters Association, according to Masslive.com.
Those who do open will be asked to provide a safety plan to the town’s health agent, who will review plans with the state Department of Labor Standards.
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VACCINE CLINIC CRASH
A Boston health clinic that is administering coronavirus vaccines continued doling out shots even after a car crashed into the building and broke a front window early Tuesday.
A car crashed into the Whittier Street Health Center in the Roxbury neighborhood just after 3 a.m., police said.
A passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A spokesperson said the clinic is open and fully operational.
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