►
From YouTube: COVID-19 Update 12-6-21
Description
Mayor Wu hosts a press conference to discuss updates relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A
Oh,
this,
okay,
it
will
be
stuck
in
all
right,
so
everyone's
gonna
have
to
filter
through
to
introduce
themselves
here
because
we're
tied
in
but
all
right
good
morning.
Everyone.
Thank
you
so
much
for
joining
us.
I
am
standing
here
today
with
great
urgency,
but
incredible
gratitude
to
make
an
important
announcement
that
we
are
here
with
some
members
of
our
newly
formed
covet
advisory
group
and
also
to
provide
some
updates
from
dr
priscilla
ojukutu
on
the
latest
covet
data
in
boston.
A
We're
now
entering
year,
three
of
this
public
health
emergency
with
new
variants
continuing
to
emerge,
and
it
is
clear
that
we
need
leadership
from
every
sector
to
help
us
take
on
this
public
health
crisis
with
immediate
steps.
That's
why
I'm
so
grateful
to
be
here
with
experts
from
across
disciplines
industries,
communities
in
boston,
who
will
partner
with
our
team
to
implement
best
practices,
follow
the
science
and
work
together
to
move
us
forward
in
our
recovery.
A
This
is
an
uneasy
time.
I've
spent
the
the
weekend
on
a
15-hour
holiday,
trolley
tour
across
the
city
of
boston,
getting
to
see
residents
in
every
single
neighborhood,
and
we
are
in
a
moment
where
people
are
eager
and
excited
to
be
back
in
community
to
be
coming
together,
but
also
looking
ahead
and
watching
the
news
and
and
needing
to
see
that
we
are
taking
clear
action
and
making
sure
we're
all
protected
and
safe.
A
C
F
G
H
J
L
A
M
Thank
you,
mayor,
wu
and
good
morning.
Everyone
sure,
as
is
the
case
across
the
commonwealth
and
nationally,
we
are
currently
in
the
midst
of
an
anticipated
covet.
19
winter
surge,
coven,
19
cases
and
hospitalization
are
up,
while
vaccination
among
some
of
our
most
vulnerable
populations
is
lagging
behind
to
address
this
threat.
Boston
is
focused
on
four
key
strategies:
increasing
access
to
vaccination
and
boosters,
increasing
testing,
enhancing
health
communication
and
doubling
down
on
prevention.
M
So
let
me
start
by
telling
you
some
of
the
numbers,
our
citywide
coven,
19
positivity
rate
is
currently
5.2
percent
compared
to
two
weeks
ago.
That's
a
15
increase
across
most
boston,
neighborhoods
and
across
all
racial
and
ethnic
groups.
With
this
increase
in
cases,
emergency
department
visits
and
hospitalizations
are
up
compared
to
two
weeks
ago.
It
is
important
to
note,
though,
among
hospitalized
individuals.
Approximately
two-thirds
are
unvaccinated
measures
taken
by
our
local
hospitals,
including
reducing
the
number
of
non-urgent
procedures,
will
ensure
that
capacity
and
resources
remain
available
if
needed
during
the
surge.
M
Turning
to
vaccination,
according
to
one
study
led
by
the
cdc
unvaccinated
individuals
have
a
five-fold
increased
risk
of
being
infected.
A
10-fold
increased
risk
of
hospitalization
and
11-fold
increased
risk
of
dying
from
cobalt
19..
So
let
me
make
this
clear.
Vaccination
is
critical
to
ending
this
pandemic.
M
Thanks
to
our
community-based
partners,
our
vaccine
equity
grant
recipients
and
dedicated
community
health,
centers
hospitals
and
pharmacies
throughout
the
city.
Significant
progress
has
been
made
in
boston.
67
percent
of
our
overall
population
is
fully
vaccinated,
but
protection
from
vaccines
wanes
over
time
and
boosters
are
a
key
component
to
maintaining
strong
immunity
against
coven
19..
M
The
problem
is
that
only
21
of
fully
vaccinated
bostonians
have
received
their
booster
more
than
half
of
individuals
over
age
65.
Our
elderly
population
have
not
gotten
a
booster
and
84
percent
of
individuals
under
the
age
of
65,
many
of
whom
are
direct
service
providers.
Teachers,
health
care
workers
and
other
essential
workers
employed
in
high-risk
settings
or
who
have
underlying
medical
conditions
have
not
been
boosted.
M
In
addition
of
great
concern
is
the
low
vaccine
uptake
among
five
to
11
year
olds
in
boston
and
the
significant
racial
and
ethnic
disparities
that
we
have
noted
at
the
beginning
of
december.
Only
one
quarter
of
all
children
in
boston
ages,
5
through
11,
receive
one
dose
of
coven
19
vaccine,
while
almost
60
percent
of
white
non-hispanic
children
have
been
vaccinated.
M
M
Before
I
describe
the
citywide
plan
that
I
mentioned
that
when
I
opened,
I
want
to
say
a
few
words
about
the
omicron
variant.
As
we're
all
aware,
and
as
mayor
wu
mentioned
this
saturday,
the
first
case
was
detected
here
in
massachusetts.
The
patient
was
fully
vaccinated
and
by
report
the
patient's
symptoms
were
mild
and
they
have
not
required.
Hospitalization,
robust
immunologic
and
clinical
data
are
not
yet
available
to
provide
conclusive
evidence
of
whether
omicron
will
be
more
transmissible
cause
more
severe
disease
or
circumvent
protection
conferred
by
our
current
vaccines.
M
More
data
are
needed
before
we
can
answer
any
questions
conclusively,
but
we're
monitoring
the
situation
very
very
carefully.
In
this
time
of
uncertainty,
it's
important
to
remain
vigilant,
but
also
to
be
calm
and,
most
importantly,
get
your
vaccine.
If
you
haven't
and
receive
your
booster
shot,
booster
shots
provide
a
high
level
of
antibody,
as
well
as
increased
levels
of
other
aspects
of
the
immune
response,
which
strongly
suggests
that
vaccination
will
give
you
some
cross
protection
against
a
number
of
variants.
M
Boston
is
focused
on
four
key
strategies:
strategy
number
one
increasing
access
to
vaccination,
including
boosters,
so
we're
going
to
double
down
on
our
efforts
to
increase
citywide
vaccination
by
making
vaccine
clinics
more
accessible
throughout
the
city.
Anyone
who
wants
a
vaccine
or
a
booster
must
be
able
to
get
one.
So
where
should
you
go
so
we're
currently
supporting
seven
walk-in
clinics
in
dorchester,
mattapan
roxbury
high
park
in
roslindale,
where
no
appointments
are
necessary?
You
don't
need
to
go
online.
Just
go
at
these
clinics.
M
Anyone
can
receive
a
booster
and
people
five
or
over
can
receive
their
first
or
second
dose
of
vaccine.
We're
also
collaborating
with
our
community
partners
to
establish
higher
capacity
vaccine
sites
ahead
of
the
winter
holidays.
Four
of
these
higher
capacity
sites
are
planned
for
saturday
december
11th,
december
18th
and
two
saturdays
in
january.
M
M
I
also
think
it's
important
for
us
to
mention
boston,
public
schools.
We
need
to
increase
our
vaccination
amongst
our
children.
Students
and
their
families
will
have
increased
access
to
clinics
at
schools
across
the
city
throughout
december
and
throughout
january,
thanks
to
partnerships
with
bmc,
mgh
and
tufts.
M
Additionally,
the
commission
is
providing
dedicated
clinical
leadership
through
dr
cerma
sanchez,
director
of
our
infectious
disease
bureau.
She
will
essentially
be
detailed
to
bps
to
work
on
understanding
and
developing
new
policies
regarding
covenant,
19
mitigation
in
our
schools
and
scaling
up
the
school
vaccination
program.
M
Turning
to
strategy
number
two
increasing
access
to
testing,
we
need
to
increase
access
to
testing,
especially
in
our
hardest
hit
communities.
To
do
that,
we
have
recently
purchased
and
will
be
providing
20
000
free,
rapid
antigen,
home
tests.
Two
communities
were
highest
where
they
noted
the
highest
rates
of
cobalt,
19
and
high
barriers
to
perching
test
kits
on
their
own,
with
the
help
of
our
vaccine,
equity
partners
and
other
community-based
organizations.
We
will
be
distributing
these
for
these
free
test
kits
as
long
as
well
as
mass
during
the
holidays
actually
prior
to
the
holidays.
M
M
Turning
to
strategy
number
three:
it's
increased
healthcare
communication,
so
we're
redoubling
our
efforts
to
increase
information,
access
about
vaccines
and
boosters
for
all
ages,
especially
children.
Most
of
this
work
will
involve
our
vaccine
equity
partners,
who
are
funded
to
lead
community
outreach.
M
M
In
addition,
please
monitor
yourself
and
your
children
for
covenant,
team-related
symptoms
and
also,
if
you
haven't
already
get
your
flu
shot.
I
look
forward
to
working
with
mayor
wu
and
our
new
at
copenhagen
advisory
committee
and
many
other
partners
throughout
boston
on
these
four
strategies
and
to
address
health
inequities
to
keep
our
residents
safe.
M
A
F
I
am
planning
to
thank
you,
buenos
dias.
Thank
you,
mayor
wu.
Thank
you,
members
of
the
committee.
I
applaud
the
mayor
to
convene
this
amazing
group
of
well
diverse
expertise
from
religious
background
to
doctors,
health
care
providers
and
businesses
and
grassroots
leaders.
The
work
continues
after
almost
three
years.
We
still
boots
on
the
ground
to
ensure
that
we
are
educating
and
protecting
our
own
members
of
the
community.
As
I
mentioned
before,
I
work
at
a
collaborative
in
chelsea
serving
chelsea
malden,
vivier,
east
boston.
F
England
do
know
that
this
is
not
a
contain
origin
issue.
This
is
a
cross-region
state
nationwide
global
pandemic
and
we
all
need
to
be
working
together
in
a
holy
excuse
me
and
a
holistic
approach
as
one
of
the
hard
cities
the
one
of
the
hottest
cities
hit
by
cover
19..
The
pandemic
revealed
the
deep
impact
of
long-standing
inequalities
in
how
a
resident
live
their
lives.
F
The
pandemic
came
on
the
back
overcrowding,
housing
conditions,
workers,
rights,
violations,
access
and
trust
of
our
residents
to
the
healthcare
system
and
many
others
in
chelsea.
We
have
learned
to
pivot,
and
I
know
that
a
lot
of
people
using
this
word
very
lightly,
but
we
did
from
becoming
the
in
eye
of
the
storm
the
epping
center.
We
now
have
one
of
the
highest
vaccination
rate
on
adults
and
there's
still.
The
work
continues
now
that
we
are
not
doing
that
well
with
the
pedro
active
vaccine,
but
we
just
not.
F
F
We
once
again
need
to
be
able
to
provide
a
holistic
approach
to
continuing
the
education
of
more
vaccine.
We
need
to
be
able
to
work
with
the
business
sectors
to
ensure
that
if
people
are
sick,
that
they're
able
to
stay
home
be
safe,
protect
their
family
and
still
get
paid.
We
also
need
to
ensure
that
people
have
a
home
to
go
to
and
a
safe
heaven,
and
we
also
need
to
ensure
that
our
students
are
in
a
in
a
safe
school.
Now,
I'm
going
to
be
translating
this
into
spanish.
B
A
Potential
actions
and
steps
that
are
being
considered
in
other
cities
and
in
boston.
Everything
is
on
the
table
and
the
goal
of
this
group
is
to
move
quickly
and
to
ensure
that
we
are
getting
the
best
combination
of
science,
lived
experience,
direct
impact
and
how
implementation
of
any
policies
would
also
affect
the
communities
and
residents
in
boston.
A
A
M
So,
no,
to
be
honest
with
you,
there
are
people
who
are
looking
at
that
you
know,
so
it's
certainly
something
that
people
are
preparing
for.
We
want
to
be
prepared.
You
know
our
right
now.
As
I
mentioned,
we
have
seen
increases
in
hospitalizations
as
well
as
increase
in
emergency
department
visits.
Our
icu
capacity
is
probably
at
92
percent.
We
do
have
additional
surge
capacity
available,
which
will
you
know
it
will
be
activated
if
needed.
A
Every
step
of
this
pandemic
has
underscored
how
important
it
is
not
to
react
but
to
be
ahead
of
the
curve,
because
each
action
that
we
take
has
the
impact
several
weeks
later
in
case
counts
in
spread
in
uptake
of
of
vaccinations
and
and
boosters.
And
so
we
are
looking
to
be
as
proactive
as
possible,
bringing
everyone
to
the
table
now,
so
that
we
can
have
conversations
about
how
to
head
off
and
how
to
start
to
stem
this
surge
that
we're
seeing
headed
into
the
winter.
N
A
We
are
looking
to
meet
very
shortly,
potentially
even
this
week
and
early
next
week.
The
goal
is
to
not
only
provide
recommendations
for
what
we
need
to
decide
right
now
in
this
moment,
as
we're
headed
into
winter,
but
to
help
us
think
through
the
long-term
impacts
of
this
pandemic
right
who
could
have
predicted
several
years
ago,
when
everything
first
shut
down
that
so
many
years
later,
we
would
still
be
where
we
are
now.
F
Sure
education
is
education,
education,
education.
I
think
that
we
have
done
very
well
gaining
the
trust
of
our
community,
but
obviously
some
parents
are
still
concerned,
and
I
think
that
this
is
why
we
are
collaborating
with
our
healthcare
providers
on
the
ground
and
other
community-based
organizations
to
ensure
that
the
parents
are
getting
the
information
that
they
need
to
vaccinate
the
kids,
so
education
education
is
important.
F
A
We
are
working
closely
with
the
state
on
statewide
policy
and
doctor
ojakutu,
as
you've
heard,
is
in
daily
contact
with
our
hospital
partners
as
well
and
healthcare
partners
as
well.
This
everything
is
on
the
table
right
now,
as
we
really
seek
to
make
sure
that
boston
is
taking
steps
to
head
off
the
surge
headed
into
this
season
and
to
make
sure
we're
investing
in
our
public
health
infrastructure
in
the
right
ways
as
the
pandemic
continues.
M
Absolutely
so
we
have
what
we're
calling
family
style
clinics
that
we're
supporting
in
in
different
communities
around
the
city
of
boston
and
at
those
clinics
people
will
be
able
to
obtain
a
booster
or
their
primary
first
or
second
dose
of
their
vaccine
series,
and
that
is
for
also
for
children
five
to
eleven.
So
it's
really
a
one-stop
shop
at
those
particular
clinics
at
the
higher
capacity
sites
that
we're
planning
to
open
two
in
december
and
two
saturdays
in
january.
M
M
Right,
no,
I
think
those
are
great
questions
and
yes,
we
have
heard
that
people
have
had
challenges
obtaining
booster
appointments
that
has
been.
That
was
one
of
the
motivations
for
us
having
these
walk-in
clinics,
there's
no
online
component
to
it.
You
show
up
between
the
hours
that
are
available
on
boston.gov
or
you
call
3-1-1
or
the
mayor's
health
line
and
get
the
information.
C
M
So
I
think
that
we
are
working
very
hard
with
our
clinical
partners
in
terms
of
staffing.
The
answer
is
yes,
we
could
always
use
more
clinical
partners.
We
have
some
very,
very
dedicated,
both
hospital
and
other
folks
who've
been
doing
vaccines.
You
know
sort
of
throughout
this
period
of
time
we've
been
trying
to
scale
up,
but
certainly
staffing
is
an
ongoing
issue.
M
You
know
no,
we
haven't
put
that
in
as
any
sort
of
requirement.
I
think
that's
an
interesting
point,
but
the
reality
is
that
we
we
just
want
to
get
people
boosted.
You
know
there
are
no
boundaries
to
this
virus,
you
know
so
and
we
we
know
that
at
some
of
our
clinics,
the
past
few
weeks,
we've
gone
without
vaccine
vaccinated
people
because
people
haven't
shown
up.
So
what
we're
really
trying
to
do
is
get
the
communication
out
there
and
just
get
people
vaccinated.
M
A
That
is
why
we
are
having
a
larger
conversation
about
the
steps
to
make
sure
that
everybody
is,
has
access
to
vaccinations
to
make
sure
that
we're
getting
people
boosted,
because
it
will
not
the
health
and
well-being
and
the
city's
success
in
battling
the
pandemic
is
not
going
to
come
down
on
how
successful
each
instance
of
enforcement
will
be.
This
is
not
ensuring
we're
putting
the
resources
into
building
out
our
public
health
infrastructure.
M
M
A
Certainly
the
funding
pieces
will
be
an
important
part
of
this
conversation.
This
group
is
charged
with
policy
making
which
has
implementation
and
enforcement
pieces.
It
has
funding
pieces,
the
initial
committee
to
to
help
make
recommendations
on
arpa
spending
that
will
be
folded
into
how
we
think
about
recommendations,
for
our
spending
will
be
folded
into
the
city
council's
new
committee
on
dedicated
to
arpa
funding,
and
so
there
will
be
pieces
of
that
here
as
well.
But
that's
not
the
sole
purpose
of
this
group.
G
G
G
E
So
if,
if,
if
the
problem
is
relentless,
then
we
have
to
be
a
relentless
in
our
approach
and
it's
the
same
solution
that
it
was
a
year
and
a
half.
Well,
when
the
vaccines
first
came
out,
we
just
can't
give
up
for
our
children
and
for
our
future.
So
we
have
the
right
people.
We
have
a
plan.
We
just
have
to
keep
at
it.
A
We
don't
have
a
specific
timeline.
We
are
working
as
quickly
as
possible.
That's
the
other
thing
that
dr
jacob
and
I
have
been
spending
a
lot
of
time
together
on
and
ensuring
that
we
are
identifying
staffing
and
connecting
residents
to
those
low
threshold,
supportive
medically
staffed
beds
as
quickly
as
possible.
We
have
set
a
goal
for
the
number
of
beds
that
are
needed
to
provide
housing,
shelter
and
treatment
for
everyone
that
is
currently
living
at
mass
avenue,
cast
boulevard
and
we're
working
quickly.