Westwood MA
9-09-2022 9:28am

Baker-Polito Administration to Distribute 3.5 Million Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests to Municipalities

Image by Elizabeth Iris from Pixabay.

In a press release issued earlier this week, the Baker-Polito Administration announced plans to distribute 3.5 million free at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to municipalities to make available to residents across the Commonwealth. The new municipal distribution plan follows the distribution of over 2 million rapid tests to municipalities earlier this spring. It also comes after a federal program of free COVID-19 test distribution ended or was suspended on September 2, 2022. 

Allocations to municipalities will be based on population size. In addition to the rapid antigen tests, municipalities can also request essential PPE, including KN95, surgical and children’s masks. Municipalities can request tests and PPE through September 16, 2022, and shipments are expected to arrive before mid-October. 

An additional 1.5 million rapid antigen tests will also be made available to food banks in the Commonwealth, to reach those who are most vulnerable. More than 1.5 million tests have already been distributed to food banks and local organizations that support access to food across Massachusetts this year.

“This distribution of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests builds on our work over the past several years to partner with municipalities to ensure residents can protect themselves from the virus,” said Governor Charlie Baker. 

Since December 2021, the Baker-Polito Administration has distributed more than 25 million rapid antigen tests for Massachusetts residents, municipalities, and a broad range of educational, health, human services, food banks, shelter, correctional, senior, low-income housing, and other community-based organizations. 

“Taking an at-home test is part of the steps that individuals can take – including staying up to date on vaccines, staying home when sick, and wearing masks as needed – to protect themselves and reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders.

Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccination rates with over 84 percent of eligible residents fully vaccinated and over half of adults boosted. The state's Department of Public Health advises residents to observe the following protocols to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID:

  • Get vaccinated and stay up to date. The best protection against COVID-19 is staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. That means being fully vaccinated and getting a booster. Fully vaccinated people are much less likely to get sick or spread the virus that causes COVID-19, especially if they have their booster shot. Learn more at mass.gov/CovidVaccine.
  • Take a test for COVID-19. Testing for COVID-19 is widely available, including at-home rapid tests. Get tested if you have symptoms. Learn more at mass.gov/GetTested.
  • Get treatment. If you test positive, talk to your doctor right away about treatment options that are available for people who have mild to moderate symptoms. Learn more at mass.gov/CovidTreatments.
  • Stay home when you are sick. Staying home helps prevent the spread of illness.
  • Wash your hands. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. Or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

You may also be interested in:

- Fed's Operational Plan to Vaccinate Children under 5 Years Old

- MA Collected Large Budget Surplus in April 2022

-State Issues Final Guidelines for MBTA Communities Like Westwood for Creating Required Multi-Family Housing Districts

I'm interested
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive