BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to release more information about the coronavirus vaccine plan for Massachusetts on Monday.
The Baker-Polito Administration submitted the state’s initial COVID-19 vaccine order to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.
The federal government has allocated Massachusetts 59,475 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for the first shipment that is part of 300,000 doses that the CDC is expected to send the Commonwealth by the end of December, according to a news release issued by Baker’s office.
The initial allotment of 300,000 COVID-19 vaccines will be for the first dose of a two-dose regimen.
Baker said during a press conference Friday that, “I think it’s reasonable for me to say today that healthcare workers and long-term care folks are absolutely going to be up near the top of the list (of who gets vaccinated first).”
Meanwhile, the DCU Center Field Hospital in Worcester reopened Sunday amid a surge of coronavirus cases.
Five patients are currently being treated at the 220-bed facility.
Worcester’s positivity rate has climbed from 2.73 percent two weeks ago to 3.39 percent last week.
The facility will treat patients with less serious cases of the virus.
“Our biggest concern is being able to offload those brick-and-mortar facilities so that they can still continue to care for patients who are more ill-stricken with COVID and other diseases,” DCU Center Field Hospital Associate Chief Nursing Officer Peter Lancette said.
Baker toured the hospital last week and announced that a second field hospital will be opening in Lowell this month.
Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said there is also a possibility that a third field hospital will open in the New Bedford-area.
“We’re having conversations in the southeast as to whether we should plan for one down in the south coast area, southeast area,” she said. “We’re not at this point in time planning on one in Boston.”
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