Bay State hits 4M fully vaxxed
Smartphone setting can be turned on now
A total of more than 8.3 million vax doses have been administered, and 4,003,540 people are fully vaccinated, according to the daily vaccine report on Tuesday.
More than 4 million people in Massachusetts are now officially fully vaccinated, Bay State health officials announced as the COVID state of emergency expired on Tuesday.
State health officials also reported two more COVID deaths and 55 new virus cases, as the average death and infection counts remain at record lows for the pandemic.
The 124 total number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals is also a new pandemic low for the state. The 124 patients is down nine patients from the previous record low of 133 patients on Sunday.
Sunday’s report of 33 new cases was the lowest singleday case count since last March, and Monday’s 44 new infections was the second-lowest daily count.
The announcement of more than 4 million fully vaxxed people came just hours after the state of emergency ended at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
A total of more than 8.3 million vaccine doses have been administered, and 4,003,540 people are fully vaccinated, according to the daily vaccine report on Tuesday. The state’s goal is to hit 4.1 million fully vaxxed people this month. Overall, the more than 8.3 million total doses administered breaks down to: more than 4.3 million people who have received one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine; more than 3.7 million people who have received both doses of Pfizer or Moderna; and 265,536 people who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Those figures represent a daily increase of 47,980 doses.
After the tally of 55 new virus cases, the state’s count of estimated active COVID cases has now plunged to 2,429 cases, a significant decline from 36,775 cases in April. The two new deaths bring the state’s total recorded death toll to 17,949.
Both the seven-day average of daily confirmed deaths — three — and the average of confirmed cases — 74 — are record low averages for virus deaths and infections.
As the Massachusetts COVID state of emergency ends, Bay State health officials on Tuesday announced the launch of a smartphone alert to let people know if they have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus.
MassNotify — the new voluntary Bluetooth smartphone tool — can send users an “exposure alert” if they were in close contact with someone who anonymously shared through the app that they tested positive for COVID-19.
The launch of this COVID exposure awareness service comes as the Massachusetts state of emergency expired on Tuesday. More than 4 million residents are now fully vaccinated, and COVID case trends continue to drop. Case counts in Massachusetts are down 99% from their peak in January, and hospitalizations are down by 93% since their peak in January.
“As we embrace our new normal, MassNotify is a voluntary, free tool to provide additional peace of mind to residents as they return to doing the things they love,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.
Developed in conjunction with Apple and Google, MassNotify can be enabled on an iPhone or Android phone, and “provides an additional layer of awareness and safety for Massachusetts residents as the Commonwealth reopens,” according to the COVID-19 Command Center.
“MassNotify alerts provide valuable awareness for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to help prevent future COVID transmission and keep Massachusetts open and residents safe from COVID-19,” the Command Center added.
The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make Juneteenth, or June 19, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
The bill would lead to Juneteenth becoming the 12th federal holiday. It is expected to easily pass the House, which would send it to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free. Confederate soldiers surrendered in April 1865, but word didn’t reach the last enslaved Black people until June 19, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to Galveston, Texas. That was also about two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a major step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “But we must continue to work to ensure equal justice and fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and our Constitution.”
The Senate passed the bill under a unanimous consent agreement that expedites the process for considering legislation. It takes just one senator’s objection to block such agreements.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., had objected in the previous Congress to a bill to celebrate Juneteenth as a federal holiday because of the cost and lack of debate, he said.
Johnson noted that he has supported resolutions recognizing the significance of Juneteenth, but he was concerned the new holiday would give federal employees another day off at a cost of about $600 million per year.
“While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter. Therefore, I do not intend to object,” Johnson said in a statement before Tuesday’s vote.
The bill is sponsored by
Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and had 60 cosponsors. He tweeted Monday: “We have a long road towards racial justice in the United States and we cannot get there without acknowledging our nation’s original sin of slavery. It is long past time to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.”
The vast majority of states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or have an official observance of the day, and most states hold celebrations.
Under the legislation, the federal holiday would be known as Juneteenth National Independence Day.