January 21, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
After reverting back to the COVID-19 higher-risk "red" zone and remaining there for two weeks, Hingham is now in the lower-risk "yellow" category, with 109 new cases since last week's Massachusetts Department of Public Health report and 215 cases reported in the past 14 days.
Hingham has fluctuated between the "red" and "yellow" categories in varying degrees over the past several weeks. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Hingham since Jan. 1, 2020 is now 1,242.
This week Town Administrator Tom Mayo encouraged residents "to avoid high-risk activities -- especially indoor social gatherings . . . and to wear face masks at all times while in public."
The COVID-19 vaccination is not available to the general public at this time, but as more information becomes available it will be shared with the community.
Vaccine distribution continues across Massachusetts as the state works through its three-phase vaccine rollout plan. "We are following the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s Incident Management framework to expand our Vaccine Planning Group and to bring in additional trained staff to plan and coordinate larger-scale vaccine clinics, should we be authorized by the state to move forward," Mayo said earlier.
Refer to the state's https://www.mass.gov/info-details/when-can-i-get-the-covid-19-vaccine for the most up-to-date vaccine information. This page can be found by visiting mass.gov, clicking on the COVID-19 link, and then clicking "When can I get the vaccine?"
The mPathy COVID-19 testing site at 308 Cushing St. is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. The 7 to 10 a.m. slots each testing day are reserved for Town of Hingham residents and employees. After 10 a.m., appointments are available to the general public. Visit mpathy.org/schedule to schedule an appointment.
Reminders:
* The Hingham Health Department posts weekly COVID-19 data from the MDPH and the Hingham Public Schools in a dashboard that is updated every Friday at https://www.hingham-ma.gov/860/COVID-19-Updates. All cases are laboratory-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases.
* Visit https://www.hingham-ma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=940 for Updated COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance.