February 18, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
The number of new Hingham COVID-19 cases reported each Thursday has decreased over the past few weeks.
For the fifth week in a row, Hingham remains in the medium-risk COVID-19 "yellow" zone, with 46 new cases since the Feb. 11 Massachusetts Department of Health statistics were reported.
The number of new cases reported today, Feb. 18, is down from 60 reported last Thursday and 72 the previous week. The number of new cases in the last 14 days is 106, down from 131 last week. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Hingham since Jan. 1, 2020 is 1,525.
Hingham has fluctuated between the high-risk "red" and lower-risk "yellow" categories in varying degrees over the past couple of months.
Despite the recent drop in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Hingham each week, Town Administrator Tom Mayo recently emphasized that public health risk-reduction measures remain the same: "Please continue to wear face masks or face coverings while in public, maintain six feet of social distancing, stay home when you are sick, and get tested if you have symptoms or are identified as a close contact," he said.
The mPathy COVID-19 testing center 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.
However, due to the expected storm, mPathy will be closed tomorrow -- Friday, Feb. 19 -- and appointments will need to be rescheduled.
In other recent news, the Town of Hingham Town was notified this week that effective the week of March 1, the state will no longer be providing first-dose vaccines for most individual municipal clinics, including Hingham's. "This means that we will not be able to schedule additional first-dose vaccination clinics here in town. Town Hall staff will contact individuals who pre-registered with the town to inform them of this change and to redirect them to other vaccine resources."
As the state moves forward with its vaccination plans and as many more residents become eligible to receive the vaccine, the state will be streamlining the vaccine distribution process and will be placing an emphasis on mass vaccination sites and regionalized clinics, according to Mayo. "There are also a growing number of pharmacies and other retail locations administering vaccines," he said. The state’s Vaccine Finder website allows residents to search for vaccine sites and to schedule appointments.
The state has indicated that Hingham will still receive second vaccine doses for individuals who already received their first dose through local clinics. "The town will continue to keep residents informed of future second-dose clinics as additional vaccines are received for this purpose," Mayo said.
Mayo expressed appreciation for Hingham Health Department and Fire Department staff for their efforts toward vaccinating Hingham residents. "They truly stepped up when residents needed them the most, and we are proud of the work the town has done thus far to vaccinate our first responders, health care workers, and senior population," Mayo said.
As an example, on Jan. 12 and 14, Hingham paramedics administered the Moderna vaccine to members of the Hingham Police Department, Hingham Fire Department, and regional 911 dispatchers during clinics held at the Hingham Senior Center.
The town also vaccinated 160 individuals as part of a clinic held Thursday, Feb. 4, at South Shore Baptist Church on Main Street. Members of the Hingham Fire Department administered the vaccine doses.
In addition to residents 75 and over who are now eligible to receive the vaccine as part of Phase 2 of the state's distribution plan, the Feb. 4 clinic was also open to those eligible to receive the vaccine as part of Phase 1.
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.