Danvers Coronavirus Vaccine, Test Clinics Set Ahead Of Christmas

DANVERS, MA — Danvers officials have set up coronavirus vaccination and testing clinics, while urging caution when meeting with friends and family or gathering at malls, restaurants and entertainment venues, over the holidays because of a surge in virus cases on the North Shore.

"The commonwealth’s Department of Public Health is tracking worrisome trends related to COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations," officials said on Saturday. "Since Halloween, the town’s case count has been steadily increasing, which will likely continue due to holiday gatherings, colder weather and the impact of emerging variants."

Along with advising masking, hand-washing and social distancing, the town is strongly encouraging all residents 5 years old or older to get vaccinated against the virus, and urging those eligible to get a booster shot.

"Hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered safely, with negligible adverse reactions reported," town officials said. "COVID-19 vaccines effectively protect people from getting sick and significantly lower the severity of illness, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths among those with breakthrough infections."

The town noted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that unvaccinated people are six times more likely to suffer from a severe COVID-19 infection, nine times more likely to require hospitalization and 14 times more likely to die from the disease.

Despite high vaccination rates in town — with more than 77 percent of residents fully vaccinated — there is a push to get even more residents vaccinated and tested for the virus around holiday gatherings, or before a return to work or school following the break.

Free PCR testing will take place at Danvers High School on Cabot Street on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. each of the next two weeks.

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged Proof of residency is required.

A free vaccination and booster clinic will be available for all eligible residents at Danvers High School on Dec. 30 from noon to 6 p.m. Registration will open early this week on the town website.

Homebound residents who can not safely go to a vaccination site are encouraged to call the state's in-home vaccination hotline at 833-983-0485 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to arrange for a vaccination home visit.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)