Town of Concord COVID-19 Updates

Any new updates from the Town will be posted below. For updates from past weeks, please click here or view the page "COVID-19 Past Updates" on the left hand column. 

March 17, 2021

Additional eligibility has been added to Phase 2; As of Monday March 22nd, people who are 60 years of age and older and certain workers who fall into the following categories: restaurant and café, food industry, grocery and convenience store, food pantry including volunteers, medical supply chain, vaccine development, transit, public works, utility, sanitation workers, public health, court system, and funeral workers are eligible to be vaccinated. For the complete list of workers who are eligible within this next part of Phase 2, please visit the State's website.

As of April 5, 2021 the following people will be eligible in Phase 2:

• People who are 55 or older
• People with 1 certain medical condition

If your group is not specifically listed in either Phase 1 or Phase 2, you will be eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 3, which will launch April 19, 2021.

Appointments for mass vaccination sites are now done through a new pre-registration system that calls, texts, or emails you directly and provides you with a unique code to sign up for an appointment. You have 24 hours after receiving the code to sign up for your appointment. The website to use is vaccinesignup.mass.gov or visit mass.gov/vaccine and you can find the website link and information is on the page.

If you are not comfortable using the internet, you can call 211 and have a representative assist you with pre-registration. 

Vaxfinder.mass.gov can still be used to find appointments at non-mass vaccination sites.

March 12, 2021

Eligible people who live, work, or study in Massachusetts can preregister for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a mass vaccination location: Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Reggie Lewis Center, DoubleTree Hotel-Danvers, Eastfield Mall-Springfield, Natick Mall, former Circuit City-Dartmouth. 

Starting today, Appointments for mass vaccination sites are now done through a new pre-registration system that calls, texts, or emails you directly and provides you with a unique code to sign up for an appointment. After you preregister, you will receive weekly status updates on your preferred contact method and will be contacted when an appointment is available. You have 24 hours after being contacted and receiving the code to sign up for your appointment. The website to use is vaccinesignup.mass.gov or visit mass.gov/vaccine and the website link and additional information can be found on the page.

If you are not comfortable using the internet, you can call 211 and have a representative assist you with pre-registration.

Vaxfinder.mass.gov can still be used to find appointments at non-mass vaccination sites such as clinics with health care centers.

March 9, 2021

Effective March 11, 2021 Educators, Child Care Workers, and School staff are eligible to be vaccinated.

We encourage you to continue to look at vaxfinder.mass.gov for appointments for all those who are eligible. Appointments on Vax Finder are updated frequently for health care locations and on Thursdays for mass vaccination sites.

People who are eligible to receive a vaccine and are not comfortable using the internet can call 211 and follow the prompts for help scheduling COVID vaccine, representatives are available to assist every day of the week.

February 26, 2021:

The Town of Concord will be hosting a small clinic on Tuesday March 2nd at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center from 9am-12pm, for Concord residents age 75 and older for COVID-19 vaccination. Registration will be through the following link which is immediately available for registration. Please note, there are only 60 appointments available.

The Town will not be receiving any more vaccine at this time and is unable to schedule future clinics. Please do not call the COA or Health Division as they have no additional information and there is no wait list for future clinics. If you receive an appointment, please do not arrive before your appointment time.

We encourage you to continue to look at vaxfinder.mass.gov if you are not able to get an appointment for the Town’s clinic this Tuesday. Appointments to Vax Finder are updated frequently for health care locations and on Thursdays for mass vaccination sites.

People who are eligible to receive a vaccine and are not comfortable using the internet can call 211 and follow the prompts for help scheduling COVID vaccine, representatives are available to assist every day of the week.

Beginning March 1^st, 2021, Massachusetts will move into Phase 3, Step 2. This means that 

·      Indoor performance venues such as concert halls, theaters, and other indoor performance spaces will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity with no more than 500 persons

·       Indoor recreational activities with greater potential for contact (laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, obstacle courses) will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity

·       Capacity limits across all sectors with capacity limits will be raised to 50% and exclude employees

·       Restaurants will no longer have a percent capacity limit and will be permitted to host musical performances; six-foot social distancing, limits of six people per table and 90 minute limits remain in place

For additional information, please visit mass.gov/reopening or the announcement which can be found here.

February 24, 2021

Everyone in Phase 1, individuals age 75 and older, individuals age 65-74, individuals with 2+ certain medical conditions, & residents and staff of low income and affordable senior housing are all now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccinations are available at Mass vaccination sites at Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, the DoubleTree in Danvers, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, the Natick Mall, and the former Circuit City in Dartmouth. These vaccination sites are high volume, large venue sites offer the most appointments, and their appointment availability is updated every Thursday.

General vaccination sites include health care locations, pharmacies and grocery stores. There are fewer appointments at these sites but availability is updated daily.

Appointments can be found by visiting vaxfinder.mass.gov or calling 211 if you are not comfortable or unable to use the internet.

 If you are a senior 75 or older who received their first dose through the Concord COA’s clinic on February 10^th, you will receive a call to schedule your second appointment.

February 18, 2021

The State announced that beginning today, February 18^th, people aged 65 and older are now eligible to be vaccinated. In addition, people with 2 or more of the following health conditions are also eligible to be vaccinated: 

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant*
• Obesity and severe obesity 
• Pregnancy**
• Sickle cell disease
• Smoking
• Type 2 diabetes
• Moderate to severe Asthma 

More information on who is eligible can be found by visiting mass.gov/vaccine
 

Appointments can be found by using the State’s locator tool at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/. People who are eligible to receive a vaccine and are not comfortable using the internet can call 211 and choose the option for “help scheduling COVID vaccine”, representatives are available to assist every day of the week.

Please note, you will never be asked for a credit card number to make an appointment.

General information about vaccination from the State can be found at www.mass.gov/vaccine. For information from the Town, we ask that you continue to review the information line recording at 978-318-3033 and visit the website for updates.

February 12, 2021

The State has announced that Individuals accompanying a 75+ resident to their vaccination appointment at 1 of 4 mass vaccination locations can make an appointment to also be vaccinated at the same location on the same day. 

• Mass vaccination locations have the most appointments and update their schedules every Thursday. Mass vaccination locations include the vaccination site at Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, the DoubleTree in Danvers, and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield.
• Only one caregiver is permitted to schedule an appointment with each 75+ resident.
• If a 75+ resident already has their first appointment booked, caregivers can schedule an appointment to receive their first dose when they accompany for the second dose appointment.

More information can be found by visiting mass.gov/covid75 

Appointments can be found by using the new locator tool at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/. 

People who are eligible to receive a vaccine and are not comfortable using the internet can call 211 and choose the option for “help scheduling COVID vaccine” Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm, to have a representative assist them in signing up for an appointment. If there are no available appointments, they can be placed on a call-back list for when appointments become available. 

February 10, 2021

The VA Bedford Healthcare System has expanded scheduling to additional categories based on federal guidance and are actively calling enrolled Veteran patients who get their care at VA Bedford to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations in the following categories:

• Community Residential Care (CRC) homes
• All VA Bedford employees, including tenant units
• VA outpatients 50 and over and those determined by their care provider to be at high risk for a COVID-19 infection

The COVID Vaccination Clinic appointment line for the VA Bedford Healthcare System is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, and appointments are available seven days a week, starting at 7:00 a.m. with the last appointment at 4:45 p.m. For more information and appointments please call 1-781-687-4000.

If you are a Veteran enrolled in VA healthcare and on the Bedford campus for an appointment, ask your healthcare provider if you are in one of the current categories to receive the vaccine or call 1-781-687-4000.

If you are a Veteran who is not enrolled in VA healthcare, but interested in getting the vaccine, please visit the Eligibility page to determine your eligibility for VA healthcare.

First Responders who are Veterans--with proper ID as determined by the State of Massachusetts and who are enrolled in or eligible for VA Healthcare--may walk in to the vaccination clinic, daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Please visit our Eligibility page if you have questions about healthcare enrollment.

To get the latest updates and sign up to stay informed about COVID-19 vaccines through the VA visit the VA's vaccine information page.

February 5, 2021

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced today that a Vaccine Scheduling Resource Line is now available for the 75+ community who do not have access to or do not feel comfortable using the internet. Please note, this call line does not have access to additional appointments and people who feel comfortable using the internet should continue to look for appointments using the maimmunizations.org website.

To use the vaccine scheduling call line:

Call 211, press prompt for "help scheduling COVID vaccine"

   - The Hours of operation for this helpline are Monday-Friday  8:30am-5pm
- There are more than 500 representatives staffing phone lines daily and operators are available who speak English, Spanish and have more than 100+ languages available via translators.
- Representatives will be scheduling appointments at mass vaccination sites through the www.maimmunizations.org website
   - If no appointments are available, the caller can be added to a call-back list and will be contacted when the mass vaccination sites have additional availability.

Please know that as this is a new resource from the state and it is likely that wait times will be significant.

General information about vaccination from the State can be found at www.mass.gov/vaccine. For information from the Town, we ask that you continue to review this recording for updates or visit concordma.gov/covid19.

February 3, 2021

We are pleased to announce that the Board of Health will hold a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for the Concord 75+ community in the auditorium of the Harvey Wheeler Community Center on Wednesday, February 10^th from 1-4pm.  There will be only 100 vaccination appointments available as this is the amount of vaccine that we have received from the state. Registration will be by phone.  You may call 978-318-3042 beginning at 10:00am on Thursday, February 4^th to try to secure an appointment.  Once the 100 appointments are taken, you will hear a recording indicating that there are no more appointments.  This is the only number you can call to sign up, please do not call the Board of Health or the COA or other Town offices, they will not be able to sign you up. Once again, the number to call to sign up is: 978-318-3042.

If you have health insurance, please have your card ready when you call, if you do not have insurance you can still receive the vaccine; the vaccine is free for everyone. 

Please continue to listen to the Town’s COVID information line at 978-318-3033 for the most up to date information on any future clinics that the Town is able to schedule. As vaccine is in short supply as we have only received 100 doses, we strongly encourage residents to reach out to their primary care physician and visit the State’s vaccine information website: www.maimmunizations.org to see about getting vaccinated at one of the many other places the State has set up.  We know that these too are in short supply for appointments, please be patient.

January 28, 2021

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that Phase 2 of vaccinations will begin on February 1st. This means that people age 75+ are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning February 1, 2021. However, the State also advised local communities that it was limiting the amount of vaccines it would supply for municipal clinics to 100 doses per week.

We understand and share your frustration but please be assured that the Town is doing what it can within its control to get our community vaccinated.  At this time, we are waiting to receive the first 100 dose allocation and then will begin to host micro-clinics for the 75+ community each week contingent upon receiving the vaccine from the State. We are not accepting appointments or maintaining a wait list but there will be public outreach when the clinics are scheduled and instructions provided at that time. The Council on Aging will be doing a robo call to community members who are 75+ once registration is open, do not expect the call until at least the middle of next week. There will be a dedicated phone line for registration and this phone number and any additional information will be included on the COVID-19 information call line’s message.

Until then, we strongly encourage residents to reach out to their primary care physician and visit the State’s vaccine information website: www.maimmunizations.org to see about getting vaccinated at one of the many other places the State has set up.  We know that these too are in short supply for appointments, please be patient.

General information about vaccination from the State can be found at www.mass.gov/vaccine

We request that you do not call or email the Health Division as they do not have any additional information about vaccination sites other than what is provided here and on the MDPH webpage.

January 26, 2021

The State of Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that Phase 2 will begin on February 1st. This means that people age 75+ are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning February 1, 2021. Vaccination locations can be found by using the following map from the State's website: mass.gov/CovidVaccineMap. This map is updated frequently  and includes what pharmacies may be offering vaccine. 

Most primary care physicians associated with Emerson Hospital and the Partners-affiliated hospitals will be getting vaccine in coming weeks.  Check with your primary care physician about when they expect to be able to provide vaccine and see if you can get on their list. In addition, Emerson Hospital plans to hold vaccination clinics; check their website frequently for information.

We request that you do not call or email the Health Division as they do not have any additional information about vaccination sites than what is on the MDPH webpage. We are unable to maintain lists of people who want to be vaccinated. We are not holding clinics at this time, and will likely not be able to do so until at least the 3^rd week of February; there will be extensive public outreach when clinics are scheduled.

Looking for a new way to get COVID-19 information from the Town of Concord? Use the COVID-19 information call line! This line plays a recording of information about COVID-19 and vaccination and is updated as needed. The phone number for the information line is 978-318-3033.

January 20, 2021

Per MDPH, effective tomorrow, vaccination eligibility is open to include the next two priority groups in Phase 1.COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Timeline: Phase Overview | Mass.gov

Home-based health care workers and Health care workers doing non-COVID-facing care (including office staff) will be eligible to get vaccinated at locations that are open to provide these vaccinations. Vaccine locations for those currently eligible can be found at COVID-19 vaccine locations for individuals currently eligible to be vaccinated | Mass.gov

January 4, 2021

The Town of Concord’s Emergency Management Staff and Health Officials have been hard at work planning for the rollout of the much anticipated COVID-19 vaccine here in Concord. We understand that many people are anxiously awaiting information about when vaccines will be made available and where they will be able to obtain them.   Please know that the Town is working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) who will determine when vaccines will become available to different segments of the public and how it will be made available to these groups.  This plan, with timelines for arrival of the vaccine can be found on the MDPH webpage.

The Town has partnered with the towns of Bedford, Carlisle, Lincoln, Maynard, and Sudbury for a Phase 1 Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for first responders vaccination clinic in the participating towns. This vaccination clinic will take place at the Concord Carlisle Regional High School in an outdoor temporary structure in the next few weeks.

As information becomes available, the Town will send out notifications and updates via News and Notices, the Town’s COVID-19 webpage, and on social media.

Please know, the Town does not have the ability to purchase additional vaccines or speed up the process. The phased approach which is being followed across the State has been developed by medical and health professionals at MPDH to best deliver the vaccine in a coordinated effort across the State. We want to remind you to wear a mask whenever outside of your home, wash your hands frequently, avoid gatherings, and continue to take precautions as we continually battle this virus.