Warming Centers Available

Given the extreme low temperatures, the City of Gloucester has established warming centers at the Rose Baker Senior Center located 6 Manuel F. Lewis Street and the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library at 2 Dale Avenue. Those unable to get out of the cold can go to these locations during regular business hours. The Grace Center located on 10 Church Street will also be open from 8:30 AM to 4 PM. We ask, if possible, that you look in on your elderly and mobility impaired neighbors to ensure that they are safe and staying warm.

Don't Let Hydrants Hide

Clearing the snow from a fire hydrant is an easy way to help protect you, your family, and your neighbors. When firefighters have to locate and then shovel out fire hydrants time is lost that could be used to save life and property. 

Winter snow can hide hydrants making them difficult to find. Please help by adopting the fire hydrant closest to your home or business and keep them clear of snow. Also, it is smart to clear your home furnace and exhaust vents of snow that may have accumulated. Blocked vents can elevate levels of carbon monoxide an odorless yet lethal gas. Be safe when you are out there clearing blocked hydrants and exhaust vents.

 

New Way To Access Your COVID-19 Digital Vaccine History

“My Vax Records” Provides New Option to Access Vaccine History and QR Code to Verify COVID-19 Vaccination 

 The Baker-Polito Administration today announced a tool that gives residents a new way to access their COVID-19 digital vaccine card and vaccination history. The new tool, called My Vax Records, allows people who received their vaccination in Massachusetts to access their own vaccination history and generate a COVID-19 digital vaccine card, which would contain similar vaccination information to a paper CDC card. The COVID-19 digital vaccine cards produced by the system utilize the SMART Health Card platform and generate a QR code that can be used to verify vaccination. The Administration is not requiring residents to show proof of vaccination to enter any venue, but this tool will help residents who would like to access and produce a digital copy of their record.

Access the new tool at www.MyVaxRecords.Mass.Gov.

How It Works: The new tool is easy to use: a person enters their name, date of birth, and mobile phone number or email associated with their vaccine record. After creating a 4-digit PIN, the user receives a link to their vaccine record that will open upon re-entry of the PIN. The electronic record shows the same information as a paper CDC vaccine card: name, date of birth, date of vaccinations, and vaccine manufacturer. It also includes a QR code that makes these same details readable by a QR scanner, including smartphone apps. Once the SMART Health Card is received, users are able to save the QR code to their phone, such as the Apple Wallet, screenshot the information and save it to their phone’s photos, or print out a copy for a paper record. The system follows national standards for security and privacy. This system provides an optional way that residents can access their vaccination information and a COVID-19 digital vaccine card. This will provide residents with another tool to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, should it be requested by businesses, local governments, or other entities.

The system leverages the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS), the official database used by health care providers across the state to record vaccination information. The system relies on hundreds of providers inputting demographic and health information. Some users may not be able to immediately find their record, or may find an incomplete record. Residents whose record cannot be found or is incomplete can either contact their health care provider or contact the MIIS team to update their records. Learn more about the tool and view frequently-asked-questions at www.mass.gov/myvaxrecord.

Massachusetts has worked with VCI,™ a voluntary coalition of public and private organizations which developed the open-source SMART Health Card Framework in use by other states. The VCI coalition is dedicated to improving privacy and security of patient information, making medical records portable and reducing healthcare fraud.

My Vax Records is just one way residents can obtain their COVID vaccination record. Pharmacies that administered the COVID vaccine and many health care providers also are making SMART Health Cards available, or are providing additional options. Learn more https://www.mass.gov/info-details/requesting-a-copy-of-your-covid-19-vaccination-record

Cape Ann's Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute Making Waves

Yesterday, I joined with U.S. Congressman Seth Moulton, Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Gloucester's Mayor Greg Verga, and members of the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Inc. to tour their facilities, and talk about the powerful impact that GMGI is having on life sciences, the next generation of advances in workforce training, and our understanding of molecular genomics. 

At every turn, GMGI has worked to pioneer not only scientific discovery but also new efforts to attract and train young area talent in their Gloucester Biotechnology Academy. Representative Ferrante and I have helped secure millions of state dollars for GMGI for the state-of-the-art laboratory to train new generations of biotechnology technicians, And funding for a marine program to be run by the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute in coordination with the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries, and $1.3 million in the economic development bill for a GMGI and Ocean Genome Legacy/Northeastern Marine Science Center joint proposal to mine the rich genetic diversity of marine organisms through new sequencing technologies. 

Congressman Moulton praised GMGI and he is right to do so because they are quickly moving towards being a leader in marine biotechnology. The research and training performed at GMGI and through the accademy are not only important for what it will teach us about our precious marine resources, but it will also be critical for informing our sound decisions about managing the fish stocks that support our commercial fishing industry, our economy, and our way of life. 

 

Boosted

Learning about booster shots doesn't have to be confusing. For the latest information, you can visit the Center For Disease Control's website -https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html. There you can find out the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccines. You can also get the latest Massachusetts data and information at https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-updates-and-information

 

Newburyport Inauguration 2022

I was very pleased to be invited to be the guest speaker at this year's inauguration of the incoming officeholders of the City of Newburyport. The At-Large and Ward Councilor members of the City Council, members of the School Committee, and Mayor-Elect Sean Reardon all were sworn in at the City Hall Auditorium yesterday morning. The act of taking the oath of office is an important event that combines legal tradition, ceremony, and a public expression to serve. Congratulations and thanks to all for making the commitment on behalf of your neighbors. 

With: Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove#newburyport State Representative James Kelcourse, #Newburyport Public Schools Superintendent Sean Gallagher, Essex County Sheriff's Department Kevin Coppinger. and others.

 

Happy New Year Friends!

Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.