Natick Mall’s COVID-19 vaccine site has opened for business—and “Epic Fun”

February 22, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The sign above the entrance to the Natick Mall’s new COVID-19 vaccination site that opened Monday says it all: “Epic Fun.”

The sign, which actually promotes the Dave & Buster’s restaurant above, is true in a sense for vaccine recipients in that for many it’s been a tough challenge getting an appointment for a limited supply of vaccine given to the state. Hey, you’re just going to feel a little pinch.

The site at Natick Mall plans to administer 500 doses per day to start out. Vaccines will be administered by appointment only. Now eligible to receive the vaccine are Phase 1 and some Phase 2 groups, which includes people aged 65 and older; people with certain medical conditions; those in long-term care or congregate care settings; and several other groups.

Going forward, the plan is for the Natick Mall site to give out up to 3,000 doses per day, seven days a week.

We stopped by to check out the scene. All was very calm and civilized as a trickle of people walked over from the lower level of Parking Garage C, past LabCorp reps, and into the old Sears building. Those who had arrived early for their appointments waited in their cars until their time was nigh.

If you’ve received your vaccine at the mall or are working at the vaccine site and would like to share your experience, please let us know: natickreport@gmail.com

Natick Mall, C0VID vaccine site — Epic Fun: Natick Mall, COVID vaccine site.

Natick Mall garage, C0VID vaccine site parking — We stopped by at around 10am to check out the scene. Plenty of parking was available on the lower level of Parking Garage C. Competition for spaces is likely to increase once the mall stores open for business for the day. Most of them get going at 11am.

LabCorp is the vaccine provider, and can be contacted at 888-990-6066 for general event questions and if you need to cancel an appointment you have already set up. Representatives at that number will not be able to schedule appointments. That can be done online here. Or phone appointments may be made on the state’s 211 hotline.

The Natick vaccination site is is accessible, and wheelchairs will be provided on site to those who want one. There is accessible parking, an accessible drop-off and pick-up location, and staff are available to assist as needed. Masks are mandatory.

A Natick Report reader asked how to volunteer to work at the site. We believe the place to start is the state’s MA Responds site.

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‘Talk about sweet timing’: How Natick got extra COVID-19 vaccine doses

February 13, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Like other local health departments, Natick’s has struggled to get as much COVID-19 vaccine as it would like to distribute in light of the overall shortage supplied to the state. The Commonwealth has limited communities not at very high risk levels from requesting more than 100 doses a week, and many have come up empty.

But Natick Public Health Director Jim White explained during this week’s Select Board meeting how Natick’s Health Department came to find itself with many more doses than it expected to get for use this week.

Natick, in conjunction with Wayland, began vaccinating first responders in mid-January, doling out 200 doses. The setup put Natick in a position to continue with vaccinations through more phases of the rollout if doses became available.

Natick has received its maximum doses in recent weeks, dispensing 100 doses on consecutive Wednesdays for locals who were eligible to get shots and lucky enough to get through the registration system, which opens and closes quickly when word gets out (get notified of availability here). The town has also begun administering second doses to first responders.

White and Public Health Nurse Deborah Chaulk were discussing how they might come by more doses, and wondering why organizations like colleges and universities that have reported surpluses don’t release the extra doses to local boards of health. Chaulk raised the same question about hospitals, which have also been reporting unused vaccines.

That prompted White to reach out to Steve Baroletti, COO of MetroWest Medical Center and that organization’s rep to Natick 180, the local organization that addresses addiction and substance abuse. And as White commented: “Talk about sweet timing.”

White emailed Baroletti that if the medical center ever got any spare doses, Natick’s Health Department would gladly take them off their hands. “Lo and behold he was in a meeting discussing with the state about their surplus and handing back in to the state, which the state requested, or if they had another certified approved site within the area that they knew of that could use the vaccine that they could transfer it over to them,” White said. Baroletti got back and said he could deliver 150 doses, but then last Friday actually delivered 300, which Natick was able to use at clinics this week for the 75-and-older crowd.

“We’re doing what we can with what we’ve got, but we’d love to do more,” White said.

Natick is also aiming to hold clinics at Natick Housing Authority locations for those eligible residents toward the end of this month, he said.

Meanwhile, the state has announced that a vaccine site open to all eligible residents will begin operating at Natick Mall on Feb. 22, with plans to administer 500 doses per day. White says the plan for that site is to gear up for 3,000 doses a day, seven days a week, once things get cranking.

If you have an interest in learning more about what the Health Department is up to beyond what’s shared at Select Board meetings, be sure to reach out to Natick Pegasus and let them know you’d like for them to make recordings of Natick Board of Health meetings available on a regular basis.

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Natick Mall mass COVID-19 vaccination site opening Feb. 22

February 10, 2021 by Admin Leave a Comment

Natick Mall will be the location of a new mass COVID-19 vaccination site as of Feb. 22, the Baker-Polito administration announced on Wednesday. LabCorp will be running the site, for which appointments can be booked starting on Feb. 18.

Mass sites like this, and ones at Gillette Stadium and Fenway, are for all eligible residents (not just Natick ones), which currently includes first responders, those age 75-plus, and more. Consult the state’s eligibility checker to see if you are eligible.

The administration also announced that individuals who accompany someone age 75 or older to get a vaccine at a mass vaccination site may also schedule and receive their own vaccination on the same day.

The Natick Mall site will begin administering 500 doses per day, then increase that over the course of several weeks to 3,000 doses daily.

Another local Natick vaccine clinic

Separately, the Town of Natick announced another new local Moderna vaccine clinic for those who live or work in town.

Only those eligible under Phase 1 of the state’s vaccine plan and those 75 or older (Phase 2A), are eligible.

By appointment only:
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Community Senior Center, 117 East Central Street, Natick MA 01760

You may verify your eligibility here and register here

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Natick Business Buzz: Slew of small businesses reap COVID-19 grants; Meeting of the Makers on Feb. 25

February 5, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Here’s a look at the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Slew of small businesses reap COVID-19 grants

Nineteen more small businesses in Natick have scored COVID-19 Small Business Grants from the state, which this week announced $174M in awards to more than 4,000 entities in the sixth round of grants administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corp. Dozens of Natick-based small businesses have now been awarded grants, which are earmarked for businesses most affected by the pandemic.

frozen ropes — Frozen Ropes homers with a $75K grant

During this round, about $900K went to Natick businesses, with awards ranging from $10K to $75K.

Not all businesses on the list are easily recognizable by their formal business names, but eateries such as Eli’s and Charles River Coffee House and athletic facilities such as Frozen Ropes and A9 Pilates were among the recipients.

Meeting of the Makers on Feb. 25

You are invited to an online discussion of artisans and “makers” about these types of businesses and what they need to thrive in Natick. The free online event starts at 10am on Feb. 25.

Meet and interact with a panel of experts to discuss questions like:

*What makes Natick attractive to artisanal and craftwork “maker” businesses?
*What parts of Natick are most attractive to these businesses, and why?
*How can the Town be more welcoming to these businesses?
*What are the benefits of attracting more maker enterprises to town?

The panel of experts include:
*Allison Yee – Owner, UpNext & Retail Reimagined
*Athena Pandolf – Exec. Director Natick Center Cultural District
*Isabel Miller – Owner, Hedgehog Belly Designs
*Jill Hourihan – Owner, Metro Pets Natick
*Scott Laughlin – Managing Partner, MetroWorks
*Ted Fields – Sr. Planner Community Economic Development

Got business news to share? Email us the details: natickreport@gmail.com

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Natick adds COVID-19 vaccine clinics for town residents 75-plus

February 4, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Town of Natick is holding COVID-19 clinics for Natick residents age 75 and older getting their first shot at the Community Senior Center on Feb. 9 and 11.

Preregistration is required and will begin at 10:00 am Thursday, February 4, 2021.

To make an appointment call 508-647-6540, Option 6 and someone will assist you.

If necessary, please leave a voice mail message by clearly stating your name and telephone number.

Natick’s Health Department has been receiving hundreds of calls a day about COVID-19 vaccines, but the town’s supply of vaccines is limited by the state.

Natick’s Board of Health has arranged for residents of the town only to get on a list for upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics. You can sign up to be notified by email or text. Clinics to date have filled up quickly as a result of demand far exceeding supply of the vaccine.

Like other area communities, Natick is only getting about 100 doses at a time. The initial round went to first responders, and now we’re on to other eligible categories, including people age 75-plus.

Even if you are shut out of Natick clinics you can try other clinics throughout the state via the Mass.gov vaccine locator page.

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