Covid cases decline from peak but remain very high

New Tri-Town covid cases fell from last week’s peak but remained well above normal levels in the week leading up to Dec. 17, according to state covid data.

The 81 new cases tallied this week make it the fifth-worst week on record.

Among the towns, Marion had 20 new cases, Mattapoisett had 29 and Rochester had 32. In total, the Tri-Town had 22 fewer new cases than last week’s 103.

Over the last four weeks, the Tri-Town has averaged more than 75 new cases per week.

In ORR Schools, new cases matched last week’s total of 21 with the majority of those coming from Mattapoisett’s elementary schools.

Of the 21 new cases detected in schools, seven came from Center School, five from Old Hammondtown, two from Rochester Memorial School, three from Sippican School, one from OR Junior High, and three from OR High School.

State covid data is usually released every Thursday evening and ORR covid data is released every Friday evening.

Local public health experts continue to encourage people to get the vaccine as soon as possible — and the state is now offering in-home vaccinations for those unable to get to a vaccination site.

People aged 5 or older who live, work or study in Massachusetts are eligible to be vaccinated against covid-19. Those over the age of 18 can sign up to receive any vaccine, but those ages 5 to 17 can only get the Pfizer vaccine.

Those eligible for the vaccine can find appointments at providers around the state using the state’s website vaxfinder.mass.gov.

In-home vaccinations can be scheduled by calling 833-983-0485, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. English and Spanish speaking staff are on hand, and have access to translators for over 100 languages. In-home vaccinations are performed by medical professionals following public health guidelines and tailored to the needs of the patient.

In-home vaccinations are performed using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, except for those ages 12 to 17, who would be offered the Pfizer vaccine. Scheduling is based on location, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis.

The state has also set up a call center for those who are unable to access the vaccine appointment website or who have trouble navigating the complex online system.

From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, people can call 211 and navigate to the vaccine help line by pressing one when prompted. The call center has workers on staff who speak English and Spanish, and there are translators available to support residents in about 100 additional languages.