The Commonwealth has launched a telephone service for residents aged 75 and over, who struggle to access the state's vaccination website, to schedule vaccination appointments over the phone through the existing 2-1-1 service.

The phone service will connect eligible residents with COVID-19 vaccination appointments already available; the service will not create additional available vaccination appointments/ there will not be potential vaccination appointments available through the phone service that are exclusive to callers.

On December 26th, Massachusetts issued temporary limits on gatherings and business capacity to stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases and hospitalizations rose.

The business capacity limits are being adjusted from 25% to 40% effective on Monday, February 8th at 5:00 AM. Gathering limits announced on December 26th will remain in place.

Click here to access complete details regarding sector-specific capacity limits, and gathering limits.

Today, the state announced a new multilingual public awareness campaign, “Trust the Facts. Get the Vax.” The research-driven campaign promotes the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and urges residents to get vaccinated when it is their turn, as vaccines continue to be distributed across the Commonwealth. The ads feature a diverse group of medical professionals who highlight the importance of the vaccine and aim to build trust with communities of color and other populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The campaign is grounded in extensive survey research that indicated that these messages are most effectively delivered by medical professionals. TV ads in English and Spanish feature a diverse group of doctors who represent a wide range of races, ethnicities and regions of Massachusetts. Additional ads will run on TV and digital platforms in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese (Traditional & Simplified), Russian, Arabic and Albanian.

The first TV ad will run locally on Sunday, February 7th, during the Super Bowl Kick-Off show. Throughout the next several weeks, the multilingual public awareness effort will be visible on a variety of additional platforms in several languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese radio, paid social media and search ads in all languages, streaming services, and print advertising in English and Spanish outlets. A companion video in American Sign Language (ASL) is also launching today. Click here to see all campaign materials.

THIS TUESDAY: Municipal Government Response to COVID-19

in 495/MetroWest Panel Discussion

The Energy and Sustainable Development Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership invites you to a special forum as part of its series on the impact of COVID-19 on our region, Municipal Government Response to COVID-19 in 495/MetroWest. This panel discussion will focus on how municipal governments across our region have responded to the pandemic.

Our panel of municipal leaders from across our service region will include:

Our panel will address topics that include COVID protocols put in place in their municipal operations, CARES funding allocations, permitting, efforts to support the local business community, working remotely while serving the public, and next steps with vaccination now in sight. Attendees will have an opportunity to submit questions for panelists to address.

This event will take place remotely via Zoom this coming Tuesday, February 9th at 8:30 AM; click here to register. The event is open to all interested persons, though registration is required.

The Transportation Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership will meet on Thursday, March 4th at 8:30 AM. Our featured speaker at the meeting will be Barry Lorion, District Highway Director for District 3, who will discuss regional roadway projects both upcoming and underway. The meeting will take place remotely via Zoom. Click here to register for the meeting; our Transportation Committee meetings are open to all interested persons, with advance registration.

The 495/MetroWest Partnership’s Transportation Committee focuses on regional mobility and enhancing transportation options in the region, addressing areas such as municipal roads and bridges, highway infrastructure, traffic congestion, commuter rail, regional transportation authorities, transit modernization and long-term visioning, interagency coordination, workforce transportation, complete streets projects, and transportation policy.