News Flash

COVID-19 Data

• As of yesterday, the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) is reporting 417,568 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, of which 28,588 are in Plymouth County.   
• Hingham cases continue to rise.  As of Friday, Hingham remains in the state’s “red” COVID-19 category, with 1,005 total cases (compared to 622 total cases one month ago).  
• Our average daily incidence rate is 58.6 per 100,000 people over the prior 14 days, compared to 31.24 one month ago.        These are big increases.
• The percent of people testing positive for COVID-19 is also rising.  The percent positivity for the last 14 days was 5.29% for Hingham, compared to 3.32% one month ago. 

Vaccine Rollout

• Vaccine distribution continues across Massachusetts.  The state has announced a three-phase vaccine rollout plan that corresponds with CDC recommendations. 
• Phase 1 will run from about December 2020 – February 2021 and will cover the following people, listed in order of priority:
  1. Clinical and non-clinical health care workers doing direct and COVID-facing care
  2. Long term care facilities, rest homes and assisted living facilities
  3. Police, fire and emergency medical services
  4. Congregate care settings, including corrections and shelters
  5. Home-based health care workers
  6. Health care workers doing non-COVID-facing care 
• The state continues to update definitions for people covered by those groups on its “When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?”    
• The state has been working directly with hospitals and other health care facilities to vaccinate the people in group 1a – clinical and non-clinical health care workers doing direct and COVID-facing care. Many of those people just received their second vaccine dose. 
• People in group 1b – long-term care facilities, rest homes, and assisted living facilities – are being vaccinated as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program.  Staff from the Town’s Vaccine Planning Group are in touch with these facilities in Hingham on a weekly basis.  So far:
  • Linden Ponds has held two vaccination clinics to cover 530 residents and another clinic is scheduled for this week; 
  • Queen Anne’s Nursing Home has vaccinated 68 out of 100 residents; and
  • Harbor House Nursing Home continues to work through its vaccinations.

• The Town partnered with Cohasset, Hull, Norwell, and Scituate to secure vaccines from the state for our police, fire, emergency medical services personnel, which is group 1c. Our Vaccine Planning Group is coordinating clinics to have Hingham paramedics vaccinate our public safety employees.  As of today, we have vaccinated 90 public safety employees and have another 60 individuals scheduled to get vaccinated later this week.  

• The state will be publishing more information tomorrow about vaccination of people in group 1d – congregate care settings – and continues to plan for additional groups later in the rollout plan.
• The Town’s Vaccine Planning Group is coordinating logistics for the Town so that we’re prepared to do our part. We are doing everything we can given the information and supplies from the state.