BOSTON (State House News Service) — Need to pick up a loaf of bread and some milk at the store? Maybe some steaks to throw on the grill this weekend? Why not get a COVID-19 shot at the same time, and save on groceries in the process. Gov. Charlie Baker visited the Market Basket in Chelsea on Wednesday to announce a new partnership with the grocery chain that will see vaccine clinics set up in the parking lots of five stores over the next two weeks as the administration continues to try to new ways to reach unvaccinated residents.
The governor said vaccines would be available without an appointment Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week at pop-up clinics in the parking lots of Market Basket stores in Chelsea, Fall River, Lawrence, Lynn and Revere. The mobile clinics will be back the same three days next week at the same stores from June 10 through June 12, and anyone who gets a shot at one of these clinics will also received a $25 Market Basket gift card.
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"We know these are convenient community locations. They're very heavily traveled, as anybody who's ever been to one knows. And we encourage all residents to come down and get their vaccine while they're doing their shopping," Baker said. The state over the weekend lifted all business capacity limits and mask requirements for vaccinated residents, but Baker said his administration is continuing to look for ways to reach people who have yet to get a vaccine, especially in hard-hit communities like the five targeted with this latest promotion.
The state plans to send an "Everbridge" mass notification to residents of the five cities next week encouraging them to take advantage of the promotion. Massachusetts has fully vaccinated almost 3.7 million people and 4.3 million residents have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Written by Matt Murphy/SHNS
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