LYNN NEWS ROUND-UP
DECEMBER 9, 2020
See our other COVID-19 related posts by clicking here.
RECORD: 196 reported new 24-hour cases of COVID-19 in City of Lynn. Last record was 1919 on December 3rd. Testing information for Lynn can be found by clicking here.
State of MA unveils distribution plan for COVID-19 vaccine
One day after Governor Charlie Baker ordered all of MA to go to Step 3, Phase 1 for reopening he has announced the COVID-19 vaccine distribution timeline for the state. The plan was submitted to and approved by federal officials. According to state officials, the COVID-19 vaccine will be distrusted only after the FDA determines it is safe. Gov. Baker promises that it will be free for all to take, with no out of pocket costs or co-pays from insurance companies.
On December 4th the Baker-Polito Administration submitted the Commonwealth’s initial vaccine order to the CDC. The federal government allocated Massachusetts 59,475 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for this first shipment that is part of 300,000 doses that the CDC is expected to send to Massachusetts. The first allotment of 300,000 COVID vaccines will be for the first dose of a two dose regimen, as the vaccines require shots a couple of weeks apart.
All doses are expected to be in by the end of the month, but some arrive as early as December 15th. 21 hospitals and the Dept. of Public Health’s Immunization Lab are expected to receive these doses. They will then be distrbuted to 74 hospitals in the state, where front line medical workers will be the first to receive the doses.
The first phase of distributions will focus on health care workers, emergency services workers, and others in high-risk professions. The second phase of distribution will focus on workers that interact with members of the general. Adults over 65 and those with a comorbidity are considered high-risk and can be included in phase 2 as well.
The timeline looks as follows:
- Phase 1: December – February
- Healthcare workwers, long-term care facilities, police, fire, EMS, & more
- Phase 2: Febraury – April
- High-risk individuals, teachers, grocery stores employees, transit workers, public works, & more
- Phase 3: April – June
- General public
The above information was taken from the State of MA website.
Recap of measures for Step 1 of phase 3 to be enacted this Sunday
Yesterday Governor Charlie Baker announced that the entire state will roll back to Phase 3, Step 1 to combat the second surge of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. The measures include:
- Capacity for outdoor theaters and performance venues is reduced to 25 percent and no more than 50 people.
- Outdoor gatherings limited to 50 people. If above 25 people the host must notify their local board of health.
- 40% capacity for indoor businesses for the following businesses: arcades/indoor and outdoor recreational businesses, driving and flight schools, gyms/health clubs, libraries, museums, retail, offices, places of worship, common areas of lodging businesses, golf and movie theaters.
- Indoor theaters and performance venues, plus a few smaller indoor recreation businesses, will close.
- Restaurants must now have no more than 6 people per table, & a 90-minute limit.
- Diners must wear masks at all times, except when eating and drinking.
- All musical performances are prohibited at restaurants.
- Social clubs are subject to the restaurant rules above.
- Food court seating will be closed.
- Masks required at all times in gyms & fitness centers.
- Everyone must wear a mask while in offices when not alone in their own workspace. Employers are encouraged to close or limit the use of break rooms and offer teleworking when possible.
Read the full update from Governor Baker’s office by clicking here.
Rally for winter sports at City Hall
Yesterday, in front of Lynn City Hall, coaches, students, and parents held a rally in opposition of the city’s decision to not allow Lynn Public Schools to participate in winter sports.
Tomorrow night at 6:30pm the Lynn School Committee’s Athletic Subcommittee will meet to discuss the athletic season. Watch it and the School Committee meeting after it live on TV (Comcast: 22 / Verizon: 37) or online (bit.ly/LCTVgovernment)
MBTA and MassDOT Announce Tobin Bridge Bus Lane Pilot
Dedicated 1.1 mile bus lane southbound on the Tobin Bridge opens Monday, December 14
The MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division are announcing that a 1.1 mile dedicated bus lane for southbound travel on the Tobin Bridge will open for use by public transportation buses on Monday, December 14. This twelve-month southbound bus lane pilot, along with additional transit priority initiatives and improvements on Broadway Street in Chelsea and North Washington Street in Boston, makes the MBTA’s Route 111 bus route one of the most prioritized bus routes in the MBTA system.
“We are piloting the idea of a preferential lane for the MBTA’s 111 route and the lane’s success will be evaluated after collecting data on bus travel times, crowding, and ridership, along with how safe the dedicated lane is for all travelers,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “We’ve been pleased at how receptive in general that community members have been during the pandemic to rethinking how public space is used, and we believe this is an opportune time to try a dedicated lane for buses traveling southbound over the Tobin Bridge and toward City Square Tunnel.”
“The partnership with the MBTA is not only with the design, implementation, or service of the bus lane but, equally as important, is on collecting and evaluating information in real time,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “And we look forward to working with the MBTA to better understand how this pilot will impact North Shore commuters and transit users.”
“We continue to see high ridership on Route 111, and one of our most valuable tools to address crowding is through transit priority infrastructure improvements like the Tobin bus lane,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Thank you to our partner communities for continuing to collaborate with us in implementing these dedicated lanes, and thank you especially to the MassDOT Highway Division for working with us in piloting this southbound bus lane on the Tobin Bridge and improving the commuting experience for our 111 riders.”
Supporting public health and COVID-19 recovery, the MBTA’s Rapid Response Bus Lane program has identified corridors like the areas where Route 111 operates as these routes have seen some of the highest rates of bus ridership since March and experience above-average chronic delay. As of November 2020, Route 111’s current ridership is about 73 percent of its pre-COVID levels for the same time period, ranking Route 111 among one of the highest ridership routes in the MBTA bus system (third highest).
Extending 1.1 miles, the dedicated all-day bus lane exclusive to Bus Route 111 begins after the Everett Avenue on-ramp merge in Chelsea and extends across the Tobin Bridge, ending just before the City Square Tunnel in Charlestown. Dedicated bus lanes can reduce crowding on buses and also limit the amount of time riders spend in close proximity to others while on the bus. In some cases, bus lanes can improve service frequency to further mitigate crowded conditions.
The Tobin Bridge Bus Lane pilot is a result of guidance and direction from MassDOT’s Highway Division and close collaboration between the MBTA, MassDOT, and its partner municipalities to address major bottlenecks along Route 111. This dedicated lane on the Tobin Bridge joins other recent transit priority initiatives directly benefitting Route 111, including:
- Recent transit priority infrastructure improvements on Washington Avenue and Broadway in Chelsea as part of the Rapid Response Bus Lane program,
- A bus-bicycle lane on North Washington from Causeway Street to Valenti Way implemented in September 2019 that provides bus priority from the North Washington Street Bridge to Haymarket Station,
- Advancing plans to include an outbound bus lane on North Washington Street through the Rapid Response Bus Lane program and the City of Boston’s Healthy Streets initiative, and
- An inbound bus lane included in the final design of MassDOT’s project to reconstruct the North Washington Street Bridge between Charlestown and the North End, which is anticipated to be complete in 2023.
The pilot will be in place for one year with the bus lane’s performance analyzed for metrics that include travel time, operations, crowding, and ridership. Roadway and vehicle data analysis will also take place with roadway operations being monitored for vehicle volumes, travel time, and safety.
The MBTA Transit Priority Group was created in 2019 with support from the Barr Foundation to further bus priority projects around the region. Since its creation last year, the group has partnered with municipalities to implement over ten miles of dedicated bus lanes, alongside transit signal priority and other speed and reliability improvements.
For more information, please visit mbta.com or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @MBTApics.
From Mayor McGee’s office: The Lynn Public Health Department has confirmed that as of today, the number of active, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases is 1,712 with 196 new cases today. 6,970 Lynn residents have recovered and 137 have died. The total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Lynn since March 21, 2020, including those who have died and recovered, is 8,819. Please visit the City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.
Stop the Spread Initiative Testing have been extended until December 31st
Please visit http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/covid19/resources.shtml#p7GPc1_2 for more information on how you can get a free COVID-19 test in the City of Lynn until December 31st.
We will continue to provide regular updates on COVID-19 through the City website (www.lynnma.gov), social media, and the Smart 911 emergency notification system (sign up at www.smart911.com).
If you have a news story that you would like to share, please contact us via email or call 781-780-9460.
