With the first official case of the Omicron variant recently confirmed in Massachusetts, leaders are looking to expand access to vaccines across the state, especially in Boston. Dr. Cassandra Pierre, medical director of Public Health Programs at Boston Medical Center, and Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, the head of Mayor Wu’s COVID-19 Advisory Committee, joined Jim Braude on Greater Boston to discuss.
Boston’s strategy for the anticipated winter surge of cases includes distributing 20,000 free home rapid tests to the city’s most vulnerable communities.
Ojikutu said there are still many unknowns about the Omicron variant, and the city will “utilize the tools we know we have at our disposal and decrease barriers and access to them” this winter.
Pierre said plans nationwide for free tests will be vital for communities that have already been hardest hit by the pandemic. “What Biden has proposed is a start, but I agree that it is going to be cumbersome, especially for communities that have already experienced gaps in access to tests and testing sites,” she said.
“Having these [tests] readily available in hand without the cost that we’ve talked about that have been prohibitive in many communities would go a long way,” she continued.
WATCH: Boston to give 20,000 free rapid COVID tests to hardest-hit communities
