An update on COVID-19

Intramuscular Injection

allocations going to regional 10 multiple-dose vials (each vial contains 10 multiple-dose vials (each vial contains 10 doses of 0.5 mL) 10 doses of 0.5 mL) mass vaccination sites; smaller allocations to cities towns.

Photograph: Michael Holahan/AP

• The state is "capping" vaccines requests from local health departments at 100 doses a week through February. • As of Jan. 27, MA providers had administered 523,721 doses, which was 67% of the state's vaccine supply. As of early last week, the state had distributed 98% 5 of its vaccine supply.

City Vaccine Update - Phase 1

The Cambridge Pandemic Collaborative (CPC), led by

Public Health, Fire, Police and Pro EMS, vaccinated 1,231

people in Phase 1 groups: • First Responders: 909 Phase 1 eligible people were vaccinated

I GOT

I GOT

from Jan. 11-15 at

MY COVID-19

MY COVID-19

VACCINE! VACCINE!

CambridgeSide; predominantly

first responders. • People Experiencing

Homelessness: 322 clients/staff

of homeless shelters and meals programs were vaccinated. 6

City Vaccine Update - Phase 2

Cambridge Public Health Department vaccination plans:

• Priority Group 1: People age 75 and older: If/until CPHD receives a greater vaccination allocation, residents age 75+ will receive vaccine through their medical providers, pharmacies, or mass vax sites. • Priority Group 2: People age 65+ and those with 2 comorbidities. See bullet above. • Priority Group 2: Residents and staff of low income and affordable senior housing. CPHD is working with the state so that the CPC will be able to offer on-site vaccination clinics at eligible senior housing complexes. 7

Vaccine Outreach - Phase 2

Outreach to Senior Housing Residents

• The Cambridge Community Corps (C3) will be going to all senior buildings to gather information for registration; CPHD will enter the information on day of vaccination so seniors won't have to call/go online. • C3 members will also inquire about seniors' interest in being vaccinated, hesitancy, and other needs and concerns. • Begin February 1 at Manning Apartments; February 2 at Miller's River. • Onsite vaccination of residents on February 4 and 5.

Phase 2 Planning

• CPHD has capacity to vaccinate 500 people/day based on the experience with the first responder clinics. 8

Vaccinating CPS Staff and Teachers

• Teachers are eligible to be vaccinated in the third priority group of Phase 2. • CPHD is advocating for additional vaccine supply in order to set up a CPS staff vaccination clinic. • If CPHD does not receive this vaccine supply, CPHD teachers and staff will be eligible to sign up online and travel to one of the designated mass vaccination sites or participating pharmacies. • Should the state provide us with the supply needed, we would be in a position to vaccinate the ~3,000 staff and teachers at CPS. 9

COVID Vaccine Communication

• Daily communications via City website/daily emails, social media is ongoing. • FAQs: Easy-to-read vaccine FAQs have been developed and shared in the following ways: • Used to respond to resident inquiries. • Used in CPHD staff's day-to-day work in community. • Interviews with community members and community leaders are in process and will inform vaccine messaging. • Town Hall series is under development. 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. 11X 13,091 Tests

Tests administered to CPS

Median number of times a CPS staff staff through the voluntary member has gotten tested through testing program since Oct. 15 the program since Oct. 15 300 students 1,182 Staff Tested Symptomatic CPS students and Total # of CPS staff who have been student athletes who have tested through the voluntary been tested through the testing program since Oct. 15 program since Oct. 15 Data reflect Oct. 15- Jan. 31 12

COVID-19 Variants

• As of Feb.

2, five travel-associated cases of the B.1.1.7 variant (which emerged in the U.K.), have been discovered in MA. • According to our state health partners, there is no evidence of widespread community transmission of the B.1.1.7 variant in MA at this time. • Two other variants of concern—the P.1 variant (which emerged in Brazil) and B.1.351 (which emerged in South Africa) —have been detected in the U.S., but not in Massachusetts to date. • With the recent arrival of more transmissible variants in the U.S., genetic analysis has been ramping up in MA. • According to our state partners, the Broad Institute is planning to scale up to do 1,000 samples a week.

Other labs involved in this statewide effort are the State Public Health Laboratory, LabCorp, Quest, and academic labs. 12

Wastewater Surveillance Update

• Nine weeks of data indicate Cambridge wastewater counts are consistently lower than comparable regional

MWRA counts

• Helps to validate the many efforts and individual acts of caution that the Cambridge community and administration have taken during the pandemic. • EAP examines the results and trends from these data at each meeting and has observed some predictive value. • We expect that early signs of a new spike in transmission, after a period of low transmission, will be seen in these data. 13