BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Many Commonwealth residents continue to hit a wall when it comes to booking a Covid-19 vaccine appointment — including one Boston man, who got a middle-of-the-night phone call from the state when trying to use the system.
Registration opened on Wednesday ahead of the start of Phase II on Monday, which expands eligibility to people ages 75 and older.
Several residents reported staying up late on Tuesday or waking up early on Wednesday, only to be met with a lack of open appointments to get their shots.
Roy Webb, who lives in a senior housing facility in Boston's South End, said he attempted to help his 80-year-old neighbor book an appointment, but was having trouble with the process. He then called the state's 2-1-1 helpline, and requested a call back because of long wait times.
“I got a call back at 3:15 in the morning," Webb said. "And they said 'yeah we got a lot of calls, and we’re open 24 hours,' and you know, I wanted to say something nasty, but held back.”
Webb said he did not receive any other calls during the daytime to receive assistance.
Meantime Governor Baker said on Thursday that the state is working with senior organizations to address the issue, and plans to unveil more resources for registration next week. He said in the meantime, keep checking websites for new vaccine appointments that are released on a rolling basis.
Tens of thousands of appointments get released each week for the mass vaccination sites across the Commonwealth --- including at Fenway Park, Gilette Stadium and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield.
After residents ages 75 and older get their shots, Phase II will expand to residents 65 and older or those with two or more comorbidities, later moving to other essential workers, like educators and transit employees.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports.
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Written by Rachel Armany