A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19 vaccination rollout

The Public Health Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cambridge COVID-19 WEEKLY REPORT CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Case Snapshot (as of Feb. 21) New Infections in Cambridge have declined since early January when rates reached their highest point in the pandemic. Sources: 1City of Cambridge COVID-19 Data Center, downloaded on 2/21/21 at 5 p.m.; 2Massachusetts Department of Public Health Weekly COVID-19 Report, February 18, 2021. 4,499 Total Cases1 (confirmed, probable and suspect) ● 4,395 in the community ● 304 cases in long-term cares 120 Deaths1 ● 63% of deaths were among LTC residents Active Cases1 ● 17.5% of all cases are active 10.6 Confirmed Cases per 100,0001 (7-day average for Feb. 16-21) Test Positivity2 ● 0.53% (2-week period ending Feb.18) 2

COVID-19 Community Testing 3

COVID-19 Vaccine Update 4

State COVID-19 Vaccine Update ●On February 17, the State notified local boards of health that they (State) will no longer support individual municipal vaccine clinics at this time. ●State will focus on disproportionately impacted communities (via social vulnerability index) in 20 cities and larger regional mass vaccination sites across MA. ●No more dose 1 vaccines to LBoH as of March 1. ●On February 11, the State announced a new COVID-19 registration tool on their website, vaxfinder.mass.gov. ●Massachusetts vaccinators administered 225,341 doses received from federal government, in the last 7 days (as of Feb. 16); 1,209,614 since Jan. 4 1Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Report, MDPH, February 18, 2021 5

City Vaccine Update - Phase 1 • First Responders (and other Phase I eligible): Total of 2,702 vaccines administered, 1st and 2nd doses. • People Experiencing Homelessness: Total of 403 vaccines administered, (1st doses): ○Warming Center, Transitional Wellness Center, First Korean Church, YWCA, S. Army/Green St. Shelter, First Church, Friday Cafe. ○Second dose administration began on Feb. 17 (81 doses administered at Salvation Army) and continues through Feb. 24. The Cambridge Pandemic Collaborative (CPC), led by Public Health, Fire, Police and Pro EMS, began administering vaccines in early January: 6

City Vaccine Update - Phase II ●Seniors in Cambridge Housing Authority buildings: Total of 558 vaccines administered between Feb. 4-16: ○Manning Apartments, Millers River Apartments, LBJ, Burns Apartments, Russell Apartments, Putnam School House Apartments. ○Weaver Apartments, Linnaean: Will administer first dose week of February 22. ●Non CHA Senior buildings (that qualify under Phase II): ○Cambridge Court Apartments (CPHD and partners will administer pending vaccine availability). ○2 Mt Auburn Avenue (run by HRI): Partnering through the Federal PPP with pharmacy in Newton. 7

Vaccine Update, cont’d Regional Mass Vaccination Collaborative ●City is looking into a potential regional collaboration to make it easier for eligible residents to access vaccine. Public Hearing ●State legislature is holding an oversight hearing Thursday Feb 25th on the vaccine rollout, requesting Governor Baker and Secretary Sudders to testify. ○CPHD invited to testify by Rep. Marjorie Decker, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, on role of LBoH. 8

City Vaccine Update - Outreach to Communities of Color ●Cambridge Community Corps (C3) has gone door-to-door at CHA low-income Sr. housing buildings prior to on-site vaccination, and will continue these visits through Feb. 24. ●C3 has also done outreach for on-site testing in North Cambridge, The Port, Neighborhood 9/Agassiz, Mid-Cambridge, Cambridgeport, East Cambridge/Wellington-Harrington. ●Outreach via community forums: ○Co-hosting Forum with the Mayor for Black History Month (Feb. 23; see next slide) ○CPHD and Men of Color Task Force (Feb. 25) ○Councillor Simmons’ Sr. Advisory Group (Mar. 3) 9

COVID Vaccine Communication Town Hall Forums • Reaching out to vulnerable communities regarding vaccine safety, confidence, and access. • Clinicians’ Speakers Bureau, and CPHD staff, have been actively partnering with community organizations for virtual forums. Community survey launched last week. 10

COVID-19 Testing in K-12 Schools CPS staff are being tested twice a week, on a voluntary basis, as part of a CPHD surveillance program. Testing is also offered to symptomatic students who become ill at school, and student athletes. 14,174 Tests Tests administered to CPS staff through the voluntary testing program since Oct. 15 11.8X Median number of times a CPS staff member has gotten tested through the program since Oct. 15 Data reflect Oct. 15- Feb. 8 1,200 Staff Tested Total # of CPS staff who have been tested through the voluntary testing program since Oct. 15 308 students Symptomatic CPS students and student athletes who have been tested through the program since Oct. 15 11

COVID-19 Variants • Total number of cases known to be infected with B1.1.7 (U.K.) COVID-19 variant of the virus is at 34 in the Commonwealth, as of February 21. 12 • CPHD announced on Feb. 18 that the first case of the B1.351 COVID-19 variant (first detected in South Africa) reported by the Commonwealth on Feb. 16 is a resident of Cambridge. • Remain more vigilant than ever with mask wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene in order to prevent transmission of variant (as with COVID-19). • Get population sufficiently vaccinated.

University Updates MIT: • Positivity rate of 0.06% (past 7 days as of Feb. 21).¹ • Only three positive cases as a result of Spring term pre-arrival mail-in testing. • Fall semester (Aug. 20-Dec. 31, 2020): 402 positives out of 257,670 tests. Harvard University: • Positivity rate of 0.08% (past 7 days as of Feb 21).² • Testing an average of 2,900 campus community members/week. ٰ¹https://covidapps.mit.edu/dashboard ²https://www.harvard.edu/coronavirus/testing-tracing/harvard- university-wide-covid-19-testing-dashboard/ 13

Wastewater Surveillance Update Weekly Municipal Wastewater Sampling Data 14

Expert Advisory Panel February 17 Agenda • Clinical, Case and Wastewater Data Update • Policy and Administrative Update • Vaccine Roll-out Status • Planning for a “Variant Surge” ○PPE Guidance ○Lab Surveillance ○Contact Tracing 15