Covid cases reach second highest peak of pandemic

New covid cases spiked dramatically in the Tri-Town in the week leading up to Dec. 9, nearly doubling last week’s total and reaching their second highest peak since the pandemic began, according to state covid data.

The 103 new cases tallied this week are second only to the 133 that were reported on January 14 as cases were spiking in the wake of the holidays and before the state had even begun reporting vaccination rates.

Among the towns, Marion had 27 new cases, Mattapoisett had 26 and Rochester had 50. In total, the Tri-Town had 103 new cases, up from 55 last week.

Over the last four weeks, the Tri-Town has averaged almost 65 new cases per week.

In ORR Schools, cases declined from last week’s peak of 49 total new cases from the six schools but still remained relatively high with 22 new cases.

Of the 22 new cases detected in schools, two came from Center School, eight from Rochester Memorial School, one from Sippican School, five from OR Junior High, and five from OR High School.

Meanwhile, school officials reduced the total number of reported covid cases found at Old Hammondtown since the beginning of the year from 20 to 19. School officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the matter.

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.