Everything Wilmington residents need to know about the coronavirus vaccine rollout – Lowell Sun

WILMINGTON While the town currently does not have any vaccine doses and thus remains behind schedule in terms of its distribution, Health Director Shelly Newhouse informed the Board of Selectmen on Monday that the amount of positive coronavirus cases in town has fallen recently and that her department is expecting to receive a fresh shipment of doses sometime next week.

Our numbers are trending downward, which is very nice. I think that this is going to be the trend for a little while, we may see another little spike after February vacation, but I think that this is where we want to be, Newhouse said.

The news comes a week after 70 local first responders received their first doses of the Moderna vaccine at a clinic in town.

Unfortunately, despite requesting 1,500 doses from the state, Newhouse said that she expects to only receive 100 and that the town still remains in the first distribution phase, despite the fact that phase two of the statewide vaccination process is scheduled to kick off next week.

Specifically, workers in congregate care settings (e.g. correctional facilities, shelters), home-based health care workers and non-COVID-facing health care workers still need to receive their first shots before the town can move ahead.

She also urged anyone who was supposed to be vaccinated already but hasnt yet to schedule a time with the towns health department to visit a clinic.

On a more positive note, Newhouse told the board that once the town does receive its shipment, she expects for them to keep coming in each week and for them to gradually increase in amount.

Its going to start off slow, but itll just keep going up and up and up, she said.

Once the vaccines are received, the town will hold vaccination clinics at Shriners Auditorium every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from nine until noon, with more times and days added as officials get more doses.

Newhouse said that walk-ins wont be allowed and that online registration, be it on the departments website or Facebook page, will come on a first-come first-serve basis. Residents who are 75 years or older can call the Senior Center to receive help with registering.

According to Newhouse, phase one only covers the first of the two shots needed to get 95% to 97% immunity, but she said that people will have the opportunity to sign up for their second shot immediately after they receive their first.

In the meantime, she said everyone should continue to practice the same safety protocols in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

Hopefully, people will still keep up the good work with wearing masks, social distancing and playing by all the rules, I think thats really what is helping, Newhouse said.

As for the recent debate over whether or not residents should start wearing two masks when they go out in public, Newhouse told the board that she stands in line with what fellow health officials are recommending.

Two masks are better than one, she said. And the tighter it is to your face the better, you should have a tight seal. So if you put two masks on youre that much more protected.

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Everything Wilmington residents need to know about the coronavirus vaccine rollout - Lowell Sun