• Reminder to pre-register for vaccine appointments: You can now pre-register for a vaccine appointment at state sites by visiting vaccinesignup.mass.gov or calling 211. When an appointment becomes available in your eligibility group, you will be notified and have 24 hours to respond.

• Somerville and Revere hosting vaccine clinic for veterans: The cities of Somerville and Revere have partnered with the VA Boston Healthcare System to host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for veterans of all ages, their spouses, and caregivers. The clinic will take place on Saturday, April 3, from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Beachmont Post 6712 located at 150 Bennington Street, Revere. Vaccines will be distributed on a first come, first served basis, and registration is not required.

• State setting aside specific days for educator vaccines: The State has set aside April 3, April 10, and April 11 for teachers, school staff, and child care workers to be vaccinated at state sites. To register for an appointment on one of these days, use the pre-registration tool on vaccinesignup.mass.gov.

• New option for vaccine update phone calls: If you or someone you know would prefer to get occasional vaccine updates via a phone call, you can sign up by visiting somervillema.gov/vaccine or calling 311. If you prefer email updates, don’t worry, you won’t be missing any information if you don’t sign up for calls. All information sent out via calls will also be included in these email updates.

• Have questions about the vaccines? The City and CHA are hosting regular Vaccine Info Sessions with medical providers who you can ask directly. Sessions are in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, or Nepali. Check our Vaccine Events listings for updates.

GENERAL COVID UPDATES

• Somerville Covid-19 Case Counts: As of March 31, a total of 5,583 Somerville residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020, and sadly there have been 81 deaths. See the latest Somerville case data at somervillema.gov/covid19dashboard.

• Add your phone to the Covid-19 fight! New MassNotify app alerts users to possible COVID exposure: The cities of Somerville and Methuen are working with state public health officials on a pilot of MassNotify, a new tool that helps fight COVID-19 with smartphones. The pilot begins Monday, April 5. MassNotify can send you an “exposure alert” if you were in close contact with someone who anonymously shared through MassNotify that they tested positive for COVID-19. Similar apps are helping to reduce COVID-19 cases and save lives elsewhere. You can help Massachusetts do the same. To learn more about MassNotify, including how to enable it on your phone, visit mass.gov/massnotify.

• Johns Hopkins University studying long-term COVID effects: For some people, recovering from the initial infection of COVID-19 isn’t the end of their battle with the disease. Some people are experiencing long-term symptoms even after they have technically recovered. To better understand the long-term effects of COVID, Johns Hopkins University has launched a survey to collect data from anyone who has had COVID-19. If you had COVID and want to help scientists better understand the disease and its effects, you can fill out the survey online.

• Some reopening restrictions to ease starting April 5: Three additional business reopening steps will go into effect on Monday, April 5:
  • Restaurants can stay open until their regularly permitted closing hours.
  • The City will work with recreation facilities to expand operations in ways that are safe for each business.
  • The Somerville Museum will be allowed to reopen.

• Certain types of outdoor performances now allowed: The City’s COVID-19 guidelines now allow some outdoor performances, both in public and private spaces. Crowd size is capped at current outdoor gathering limits of 25 persons or at the approved venue capacity and organizers must complete a health and safety plan. For more information on hosting an outdoor performance, see our website.
• Free COVID-19 testing: CHA Somerville Hospital offers free testing at Assembly Row. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.). The mobile COVID-19 testing unit offers testing for all in our neighborhoods. To make a mobile appointment, call 617-682-0583. Mobile testing schedules, as they become available, and more testing information can be found at somervillema.gov/covidtesting. The State’s Stop the Spread testing sites are also an option, including in the nearby communities of Chelsea and Everett. For more information, visit the State’s website.