BOSTON (AP) — People looking to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine shot can begin using a preregistration signup tool Friday aimed at making it easier to book a time at any of the state’s seven mass vaccination sites.
The system will replace current online booking platforms. More sites will be added to the preregistration system in April, state health officials said Wednesday.
This tool will be available at https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.
After filling out the online form, residents will get a confirmation by phone, text or email and receive a weekly update about their status. Residents can opt out if they secure an appointment elsewhere.
When an appointment becomes available, the individual will be notified and have 24 hours to accept. If an appointment is not accepted after 24 hours, the resident will have to get back in line to wait for another appointment.
The preregistration tool allows family members, caregivers or other companions to fill out the form on behalf of someone else.
The new system will replace the weekly appointment release on Thursdays for mass vaccination sites only.
The new preregistration system won’t change this week’s appointment release on Thursday. It’s the last week appointments at mass vaccination sites will be posted online on Thursday morning.
On Thursday, over 40,000 new first dose appointments for mass vaccination sites will be made available to eligible groups. Another 40,000 second dose appointments have also been scheduled at mass vaccination sites.
Eligible residents can also look for appointments at any of the state’s 170 public vaccine sites by searching vaxfinder.mass.gov.
Individuals who can’t to book an appointment by using the internet can still call 211 and follow the prompts for vaccine appointments.
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TEACHER VACCINATION DAYS
Massachusetts is designating four days when the state’s seven mass vaccination sites will offer first doses only to K-12 teachers, childcare workers and K-12 school staff.
The special vaccination days are March 27, April 3, April 10 and April 11. Starting Thursday, teachers are eligible to receive vaccination shots under state guidelines.
The push is part of a state effort to prioritize teacher vaccinations in response to a directive from the Biden administration, state officials said.
Teacher unions have also pressed for the vaccinations as the state pushes to phase out online learning in favor of in-classroom teaching.
All other vaccine providers, in addition to the mass vaccinations site, are also encouraged — but not required — to restrict their appointments on those four days to childcare workers and K-12 school staff and educators.
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VIRUS-ARTS ECONOMY
The coronavirus pandemic has cost arts and cultural institutions in Massachusetts at least $588 million in revenue, the Massachusetts Cultural Council said this week.
In addition, about 30,000 workers in the sector have been affected by the pandemic through layoffs, furloughs and reduced hours or wages.
The numbers released by the state agency this week were based on several surveys of almost 1,000 nonprofits across the state.
“Our once booming, innovative, and vibrant cultural sector is in economic crisis,” Michael Bobbitt, the council’s executive director said in a statement. “One year of closure and cancellations adds up to millions of dollars in lost revenue and income, and thousands of displaced and impacted workers statewide.”
Also, some 2,000 artists, teaching artists, and scientists/humanists in Massachusetts who responded to the surveys reported losing more than $30 million in personal income.
The cultural sector includes museums, performing arts centers, science and nature centers and historical homes.
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DUBIOUS ANNIVERSARY
Wednesday marks one year since Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in the state in response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
The declaration led schools to move to remote learning, forced the shutdown of businesses, many of which have closed permanently, restrictions on other businesses, and mask and social distancing mandates in an effort to thwart the virus’ spread.
Despite those efforts, more than 16,000 state residents have died after contracting COVID-19, and nearly 561,000 people have had confirmed cases of the disease.
The development of several vaccines have led to optimism, and so far the state has administered about 2.2 million doses.
