By Lauren Bennett
Governor Charlie Baker held a press conference at the Chelsea Market Basket on Wednesday morning to announce a series of vaccination clinics that will be held at Market Basket locations across the state both this week and next.
Baker said that nearly 3.7 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated, and more than 4.3 million have received at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“79 percent of all adult residents have received at least one dose,” Baker said, adding that the vaccine is free for everyone, and no insurance or ID is required.
Baker said that the state has “been ramping up targeted community outreach efforts to reach the remaining residents,” by doing things such as bringing vaccines to those who are homebound. He said that so far, about 15,000 home visits have been made.
Additionally, the state has created clinics for employers and schools so employees and teachers can get vaccinated, as well as brought more mobile vaccination clinics to the state’s “hardest-hit communities,” he said.
On Wednesday, in Chelsea, Baker announced that several Market Basket locations across the state—Chelsea, Fall River, Lawrence, Lynn, and Revere— will be offering vaccination clinics on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week and next week. The full schedule can be found at cic-health.com/marketbasket.
There is no appointment is necessary for these clinics; residents can just walk up for a vaccination, Baker said, and $25 Market Basket gift cards will be given to individuals when they get their first dose. The CIC Health website also states that residents who need a ride to the Market Basket vaccination clinics can request a free Lyft.
“I want to thank Market Basket for generously hosting these clinics on their properties,” Baker said. “We know these are convenient community locations; they’re very heavily traveled as anybody who’s ever been to one knows, and we encourage all residents to come down, and get their vaccine while they’re doing their shopping.”
Baker also said that more work needs to be done to get more residents vaccinated, and the state has allocated around $30 million for its “vaccine initiative to address vaccine hesitancy and increase access to vaccines in our 20 hardest-hit communities.”
He also said that texts and messages have been sent to residents in these communities “to remind people of the importance of getting a vaccine and we share locations in their communities where they can get vaccinated. Our goal remains to give everybody who wants a shot an access to it.”
The state has more than 900 locations for people to get vaccinated. “Get vaccinated to protect yourself, get vaccinated to protect your friends, get vaccinated to protect your family, get vaccinated to protect your neighbors, and your communities,” Baker said.