BOSTON (WHDH) - In about a month, all Massachusetts residents over the age of 16 will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday.
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During a news conference in Brockton, Baker detailed a much-anticipated timeline for opening up access to COVID-19 vaccines for all residents who are still waiting to become eligible for the shot.
“We do think we are in a race against time. People want to get vaccinated…We want to get people vaccinated so fewer and fewer people get sick,” Baker said.
The state’s timeline adheres to the original timetable for the three vaccine eligibility phases that were initially announced in December, according to Baker.
On March 22, about 810,000 people, including residents over the age of 60 and workers in the following sectors will become eligible to get vaccinated:
- Restaurant or café workers
- Grocery or convenience store workers
- Food pantry workers or volunteers
- Food, meatpacking, beverage, agriculture, consumer goods, retail, or food service workers
- Vaccine development workers
- Medical supply chain workers
- Transit/transportation workers
- Sanitation workers
- Public health workers
- Public works, water, wastewater, or utility workers
- Court system workers (judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, clerks), other than court officers who are listed under first responders
- Funeral directors or funeral workers
- Shipping port or terminal workers
Vaccinations will then open up to about 895,000 more residents on April 5, including people over the age of 55 and those with one medical condition. The medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart ailments, pregnancy, and type 2 diabetes, among an array of others.
About 2.55 million members of the general public, including all residents 16 years of age and older, will become eligible for the vaccine on April 19.
Baker noted that his administration has received assurances from the federal government that an increased vaccine supply will be available to states soon.
A total of 316,000 first and second doses are being sent to the state to be administered next week.
“The news about the arrival of more vaccines from the federal government means we will be able to move faster to get doses to our residents,” Baker said. “This is long overdue and welcome. We’re all eager to get back to something like normal and see our friends and loved ones again.”
Depending on available supply, Baker warned that it could take weeks for people to be notified that an appointment is available at one of the state’s seven mass vaccination sites.
Residents are urged to pre-register to book an appointment at a mass vaccination site at mass.gov/COVIDVaccine. More sites will be added to the pre-registration system in April.
Appointments will be offered based on eligibility and available appointments nearby.
The state is also expected to surpass one million fully vaccinated residents within the next day, Baker said.
As the state awaits a boost in its vaccine supply, Baker reminded residents that COVID-19 is going to remain a threat for the foreseeable future.
“We can’t let our guard down and we certainly shouldn’t do so when we are this close to the finish line,” Baker explained. “That means we have to continue to practice the stuff that has worked over the course of the last year.”
Baker also asked residents to continue to seek out a coronavirus test if they feel ill or have reason to believe they were exposed.
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