Should your city or town be concerned about the BA.2 variant?

MARCH 31, 2022

Should your city or town be concerned about the BA.2 variant of COVID-19?

To prepare for a possible new surge, cities and towns should take action now to protect vulnerable residents and prevent widespread transmission in their communities.

Masks have come off in most settings in the Greater Boston region and most activities have re-opened at full capacity. We are also seeing fewer reported cases than earlier this year.

Even amidst the good news, MAPC is following recent reports regarding the Omicron subvariant BA.2. These reports indicate:

BA.2 is accountable for a spike in cases in Europe and the U.K. In previous surges, we save a rise in cases in Massachusetts a few weeks after a surge in Western Europe.
BA.2 is more easily spread than the original version of Omicron that caused our winter surge in December 2021 and January 2022.
Currently, BA.2 accounts for 50% of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts (and 35% nationally).

The research also shows some encouraging news:

People who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations (primary series + booster) are very strongly protected against severe illness.
BA.2 does not appear to result in more severe illness than Omicron.

We want to highlight five ways to build on these strengths and protect our communities, especially those potentially facing greater risk from COVID-19:

Boost Vaccine Efforts: Conduct ‘Complete Your Series’ and ‘Boosted is Best ’ campaigns to encourage those with one shot to get fully vaccinated and to encourage those who are fully vaccinated to get boosted. Local vaccine data (via MIIS) can guide your outreach and efforts.

Consider pairing these campaigns with messages on pediatric vaccines. You could focus groups or host town halls with pediatricians to understand gaps in local confidence in vaccinations for younger residents.

Keep Residents Updated on COVID-19 Data. Provide residents with regular updates on the latest case data and wastewater levels to guide indoor mask use. Encourage mask use in indoor public settings and promote good hygiene (e.g., hand washing) that prevents the spread of germs.

Refresh Awareness of Isolation and Quarantine Guidance. Ensure residents and employers understand how and when to isolate or quarantine if they are exposed to or test positive for COVID-19. Here is a simple calculator you can share.

Connect Residents to Testing and High-Filtration Masks. Ensure that residents have access to high-quality masks and tests, including both rapid at-home and PCR tests.

Support Those Who Continue to Wear Masks. Support residents, employees and businesses who may wish to take extra precautions like wearing a mask where it’s not required. High quality masks provide more protection, especially when others aren't wearing masks indoors or in crowded situations.

We managed this before and can do it again. Our summer – and Main Streets – will be better if we stay proactive. Let’s center health justice as a guiding principle as we support residents when it comes to testing and treatment.

Please feel free to reach out to MAPC Public Health Director Barry Keppard at bkeppard@mapc.org if you would like more information, or if you want to share practices you think can help other Greater Boston cities and towns.

Earlier this year, as the Omicron variant surged, MAPC compiled information on procuring and distributing tests and masks. For more information on these statewide contracts and other resources, please visit MAPC’s “Responding to Omicron” webpage.

Metropolitan Area Planning Council | mapc.org