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CPD’s 18th Secret Santa Gift Drive for Older Adults Distributes Hundreds of Gifts to Seniors

The Baker-Polito Administration, in collaboration with the Museum of Science Boston and Dunkin’ announced initiatives to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines in the Commonwealth. Massachusetts continues to be a national leader in vaccination rates with over 77% of adults having received at least one dose, and the Administration is supporting additional opportunities to drive vaccine uptake.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. If you haven’t already, order yours today. Starting this week, every home in the U.S. will be able to order an additional set of 4 tests.

In keeping with the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Cambridge Public Health Department, the City of Cambridge today is strongly recommending that residents wear face coverings anytime they are outside of their home, especially in public settings in which physical distancing measures (ensuring 6 feet of space or more from others) are difficult to maintain. Those areas include grocery stores and pharmacies.

With people gathering indoors more as the weather gets colder, COVID-19 cases are on the rise. The Cambridge Public Health Department encourages residents to protect themselves and others by staying up-to-date on COVID vaccinations, wearing masks indoors when outside their own home, and keeping spaces well-ventilated.

Governor Baker announced that he will institute a statewide rollback to Phase III, Step 1 of the Commonwealth’s Reopening Plan on Sunday, December 13. Cambridge has remained at Step 1 of Phase III since the summer.

Booster shots increase your protection against COVID-19, including variants. During the Omicron surge, receipt of a third (booster) dose has been highly effective at preventing COVID-19–associated hospitalizations, the need for mechanical ventilation, and death. These findings underscore the importance of receiving a booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to prevent both moderately severe and severe COVID-19, especially while the Omicron variant is the predominant circulating variant.

The Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of MassNotify, a new free smartphone service that people in Massachusetts can voluntarily use to let others know that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Massachusetts remains a leader in the nation in COVID-19 vaccinations, with almost 4 million residents fully vaccinated, and COVID-19 case trends continue to drop. Case counts in Massachusetts are down 99% from their peak in January, and hospitalizations are down by 93% since their peak in January.

The Cambridge Housing Authority provides long-term rental housing and rental assistance. More than 10,000 low-income families, elders, and disabled individuals receive this assistance.

The rebrand, including a new website, makes it easier for Cambridge educators and families to access early childhood resources and information.