Gov. Charlie Baker says Massachusetts is well-prepared for the major snow storm that will hit the state Monday and Tuesday and that aside from some postponed appointments, the rollout of the state's COVID-19 vaccination plan won't be harmed.
"This is obviously our second major storm of the season. We're used to dealing with snow this time of year, but it's important for folks to take this one seriously due to the heavy snowfall, the high winds and the speed with which a lot of this snow is going to fall when it starts to come down," Baker said.
The governor said providers who have closed their doors for the storm will contact patients with appointments to reschedule them.
"I think the big goal for the mass [vaccination] sites is going to be to try to get as many of the folks who are scheduled today through, and they've been talking to people all morning about that. And folks who either are nervous about traveling in, given the storm and all the rest, they will do what they can to get them rescheduled this week," Baker said.
Despite the storm, Massachusetts residents over the age of 75 were still able start receiving vaccines on Monday. Dozens lined up at Fenway Park to start the vaccination process, many coming in early to beat the snow.
"Those that had an appointment here at Fenway Park in the afternoon, we asked them to come if possible in the morning, and many of them did, so we can get as many people through before the snow comes,” said Rodrigo Martinez, chief market officer with CIC Health, the organization running vaccination sites at Fenway and Gillette Stadium.
Asked if the storm could disrupt distribution of vaccine doses to sites, Baker said most sites have already received their allotment of shots for the week and he doesn't expect supplies to be disrupted.
While activating it's usual snow-fighting operation, MassDOT will coordinate with vaccination sites to remove snow from entrances and parking lots to maintain access to the sites.
Most of the MBTA is operating on a normal weekday schedule.
Baker said the state's vaccine appointment website, which has received criticism for linking out to individual vaccination sites' own appointment booking pages, has received some adjustments, like the ability to search within a general geographic area instead of individual sites.
"We cleaned up a number of the other elements and it makes it easier for people to actually just walk through whether or not, in fact, they're eligible to get vaccines at this point with a series of questions on the front end," Baker said. The governor said his team has been looking at how other states operate similar web portals and are going to incorporate best practises into Massachusetts'.
Baker said the impact of the storm will be different throughout the state. The governor said western and northern central Massachusetts could see large amounts of lighter snow while coastal areas will deal with less volume but a much heavier snowfall. High winds and potential power outages along the coast are also a concern, Baker said.
Baker said that since most commuters are already working remotely, MassDOT and local snow managers don't have to worry about a large crowd leaving the Boston area in the afternoon and crowding roads just as the storm picks up.
Reporter Craig LeMoult contributed to this story.
