LAST MONTH, workers from the state Department of Children and Families knocked on the door of Raquel, an El Salvadoran immigrant living in Worcester. DCF had gotten an anonymous call about a fight between her husband and […]
Health
Posted inHealth Care
Delayed vaccines arrive in Massachusetts
AFTER A DAY of concern and confusing messages, the delayed shipments of COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Massachusetts, and no appointments will be cancelled. “Gov. Baker and the Command Center have […]
Posted inPolitics
‘Teflon Charlie’ facing some real heat
FOR MOST of the past six years, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has been ranked as the most popular governor – or close to it – in America. One Boston Globe […]
Posted inHealth Care
Manufacturing delay, weather holding up vaccine shipment
COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES scheduled to be shipped to Massachusetts from the federal government this week have been delayed, and state officials left open the possibility that vaccine appointments may be cancelled. “The […]
Posted inOpinion
Technocratic vaccine plan leaves behind those most in need
FROM THE START, the Commonwealth’s vaccination efforts have suffered from a pervasive disconnect. No one thought to involve municipalities and local health boards in the planning process. Multilingual call lines […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker wants to send National Guard to pick up vaccines
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is seeking federal permission to send the Massachusetts National Guard to pick up vaccine doses from Tennessee and Kentucky, to avoid weather-related delays. Baker said the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker ‘pissed off’ as vaccine website struggles
THE STATE WEBSITE for finding an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine crashed Thursday morning as a torrent of people 65 and above rushed to sign up, the latest chapter in […]
Posted inHealth Care
Advocates push vaccine equity for black and Latino residents
ADVOCATES FOR BLACK AND LATINO Massachusetts residents are asking Gov. Charlie Baker for a large influx of money and vaccine doses aimed at increasing vaccination rates among their populations. “For […]
Posted inUncategorized
Vaccine rollout continues to those 65 and up
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION accelerated its vaccine rollout, announcing that starting Thursday individuals over 65 and those with two or more underlying health conditions can start booking appointments for initial doses […]
Posted inUncategorized
COVID signs show improvement
THE COVID-19 situation in Massachusetts showed marked improvement on Tuesday, as the presence of the virus diminished and the vaccination push gained strength. The positive signs seemed to run counter […]
Posted inEducation
Everett plan to vaccinate teachers goes awry
TEACHERS HAVE BEEN decrying their low status in the vaccine pecking order for weeks, but Everett decided to do something about it. The local School Committee voted on January 19 […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service
State vaccine website gets upgrade
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE’S COVID-19 vaccine website now lists available appointments for some locations, part of a new platform the Baker administration launched Friday to smooth the sometimes-challenging […]
Posted inUncategorized
Curative at center of vaccine snafus in Danvers, Springfield
OVER 20 LEGISLATORS are questioning Gov. Charlie Baker over the usage of Curative Inc, to manage three mass vaccination sites, citing the company’s short existence and recent snags. “This corporation […]
Posted inHealth Care
Companion ads stir concerns, pushback
“ADULTS 75 yrs and older — Need a ride to your vaccine?” read the headline of the Craigslist ad. The ad was one of many popping up on websites a […]
Posted inUncategorized
Virus notes: Crowding at the top of Phase 2
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION is continuing to move people higher in the vaccine line, forcing those down below to wait longer and longer. First it was people between 65 and 74, […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker again denounces Ismay comments
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday again denounced comments made last month by his undersecretary for climate change and brushed aside a suggestion that his aide may have been stating the […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker offers vaccines to ‘companions’ of those over 75
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday said anyone bringing someone 75 and over to one of the state’s mass vaccination sites can also get inoculated even if it’s not their appointed […]
Posted inOpinion
Missing the boat on vaccinating the black community
MASSACHUSETTS LEADERS have pledged to address systemic racism. A COVID-19 vaccination strategy that prioritizes heavily impacted black communities is the opportunity to slow the spread of the disease while bringing real meaning […]
Posted inOpinion
Whole lot of clicks to get vaccines
I HAD BEEN hearing the stories about seniors trying to sign up for Phase 2 COVID-19 vaccines: websites swallowing information, hours to find a location with available vaccine, people booking appointments only […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker stands up vaccine call center
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER unveiled a 500-person call center on Friday to help residents 75 and older book appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The center is intended to assist those […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker loosens capacity restrictions
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER slightly loosened capacity restrictions at restaurants, retailers, and gyms on Thursday as the state’s weekly COVID-19 numbers continued to retreat from the highs of recent weeks. Vaccinations […]
Posted inHealth Care
Nursing homes may be turning the corner on COVID
NURSING HOMES have accounted for the bulk of deaths from COVID-19 in Massachusetts since last April, but that may be starting to change. Long-term care facilities, which cater to older […]
Posted inUncategorized
Reggie Lewis Center to have neighborhood days
RESPONDING TO CONCERNS about the low number of people of color getting inoculated for COVID-19, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday said his administration is trying to get vaccines in the […]
Posted inEducation
Uncertainty continues to plague school reopening debate
ONE OF THE most disturbing of the shockingly wide range of symptoms experienced by people with COVID-19 is often described as “brain fog,” a lingering inability to think clearly that […]