The Tri-Town, alongside the Old Rochester Regional School District, have proposed a clinic at the which would provide the covid vaccine to over 1,000 teachers. 

The proposal, announced in a Feb. 25 press release, would provide the first dose of the vaccine to 1,192 educators over the course of two days at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center in Marion. 

The plan, spearheaded by Marion and backed by State Rep. Bill Straus, was put together in anticipation of further progress through Phase 2 of the state’s vaccination plan. 

"The Tri-Towns were able to come together to efficiently and successfully provide vaccinations to individuals who have previously become eligible for the vaccination, and I am very confident in our ability to do this once again for educators in the region," Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail said. "We recognize the importance of vaccinating educators, and proactively coordinating these plans, if supported by the state, would allow us to be prepared to implement them as soon as educators become eligible.

The Community Center has already hosted several vaccine clinics since the covid vaccine was made available, and over 1,000 Marion residents and Tri-Town emergency personnel have been vaccinated at the site. The site would be operated by Marion with technical assistance from Rochester and Mattapoisett and ORR staff. 

"We are pleased to be working with our Tri-Town partners once again as we continue this important public health endeavor, and we remain committed to continuing to advocate on the behalf of our region's educators," Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Lorenco said. 

The site would be regional, offering vaccine doses to educators in the ORR school district, Tabor Academy, Old Colony High School, and teachers who live in the Tri-Town. 

“Whatever we can do to help get our educators vaccinated is a top priority,” Rochester Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar said. 

An estimated 442 ORR educators, 250 Tabor Academy educators, 150 Old Colony educators and 350 educators livinng  in the Tri-Town area would be able to receive the first dose of the covid vaccine.

"Providing our educators and school staff members the opportunity to receive their COVID-19 vaccination at a local distribution site is a critical next step to safely returning
students to our classrooms full-time," Old Rochester Superintendent Michael Nelson said.

Rep. Straus will submit the proposal to Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, along with a request for 1,200 first doses to be administered to educators. Through the state's current vaccine distribution plan, educators are in the third group to become eligible for the vaccine through Phase 2. The state has not yet announced when educators will be able to receive the vaccine.

"The Tri-Towns already demonstrated in December the skill and capacity to implement fair and efficient COVID-19 vaccine distribution when it came to first responders, so I am happy to support this proactive approach to getting local educators their vaccinations as quickly as possible when they are reached on the priority list,” said Rep. Straus. "I will work as hard as I can to have this local plan approved so teachers here can be reached from day one of eligibility."