Dover COVID-19 Updates & Information

Maintaining Emotional Health & Well-being

 Taking care of your emotional health and well-being during this time is important. Decreasing stress can help bolster your immune system and can help keep you and others around you healthy. Please visit the Mass.Gov website for important resources and tips. 

Travel Notification Requirements

• Travel risk and new travel order with mandatory quarantine:  Though states in the northeast have the lowest incidence of COVID, there is substantial risk that travelers from other parts of the country might be unknowingly infected and spread COVID here.  On July 24, 2020, Governor Baker issued a new travel order that requires all visitors and returning residents to complete a “Massachusetts Traveler Form” unless they are coming from a state that has been designated a lower risk COVID-19 state or fall into an exemption category. The new travel order also requires that visitors and returning residents arriving in Massachusetts from any place other than a COVID-19 lower-risk state must quarantine for 14-days unless they can produce a negative COVID-19 test result administered on a sample taken not more than 72-hours prior to arriving in Massachusetts.  Failure to follow the rules for quarantine could result in a fine.  More details are available at mass.gov/matraveler.
  
  
• A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WAY TO HELP PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM COVID:  QUARANTINE AFTER TRAVEL In many parts of the United States, COVID cases are skyrocketing.  The northeast is the exception, where infection rates are relatively low and stable, as in Massachusetts, or very low and falling, as in several other northeastern states.  There is a serious risk that travelers coming to Massachusetts from areas with high infection rates could be unknowingly infected and spread COVID here after arrival.  As a consequence, most northeastern states, Massachusetts included, are directing travelers from other parts of the country to quarantine themselves for 14 days upon arrival. Travelers to Massachusetts from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, and New Jersey are exempt from the quarantine requirement.  The Board of Health urges Dover residents to comply with the directive in order to prevent the spread of COVID.  For more information regarding domestic and international travel restrictions and recommendations, please visit the state’s travel information page here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/travel-information-related-to-covid-19
  
  

  If a recent traveler in your home develops any symptom of COVID during quarantine, they should be tested and should contact their primary care provider.  The CDC list of COVID symptoms is at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html., and testing sites are available at:   https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing.  Please note that many local grocery stores deliver, either directly or through Instacart, and the Dover Council on Aging, at 508-513-5734, is available, no matter your age, to advise about other logistical problems that may arise during the quarantine period

COVID-19 Testing. The Town strongly encourages people who are concerned that they may have symptoms of COVID-19 to arrange to be tested through their primary care providers.  If someone has a COVID swab test (PCR) that is positive, the provider who ordered the test will follow up, and the Dover Public Health nurse will also call to discuss isolation and quarantine in the home, as well as give advice about managing symptoms and, if needed, help arrange for groceries and other supplies. Some people have chosen to have coronavirus antibody blood tests performed.  The role of antibody tests isn’t entirely clear yet, as they may indicate past infection, but they may also indicate active infection.

Vaccine Distribution Information

Council on Aging and Board of Health staff will be updated on alternative options to scheduling appointments online, including via phone; these options will be communicated when received. Family members are able to book appointments for someone eligible who needs assistance. If you need help with scheduling a vaccine appointment, please contact Dover COA at 508-315-5734 or coa@doverma.org    

Thank you for your patience with this process. Please continue to follow the steps to stay safe: wear a mask, wash your hands often, maintain physical distance, and avoid indoor settings with people who aren’t members of your immediate household. We are here for you and welcome your calls and emails. Please be patient as it may take longer than usual for us to respond. 

Local Resources

Needham

• Council on Aging: Is providing support with registering for the vaccine to Needham residents 65 years of age or older. Individuals can call (781) 855-3629 or complete this COVID-19 Vaccine Help form to have a staff member call.
• Springwell, Inc: Is available to assist individuals 65 and older with making an appointment for the vaccine. Individuals can call (617) 926-4100 to speak with someone at Springwell.
• Needham Public Health Clinic in Needham: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available.
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates-Atrius Health in Needham: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available.

Dover

• Council on Aging: Is providing support with registering for the vaccine to Dover residents 65 years of age or older and can provide transportation to adjacent towns. To contact the COA call: (508) 315-5734.
• BayPath Elder Services: Is available to assist individuals 65 and older with making an appointment for the vaccine. You may call (508) 573-7200 to speak with someone at BayPath.

Medfield

• Council on Aging: Is offering support with registering for the vaccine to Medfield residents 65 years of age or older. You can contact the COA by calling (508) 359-3665.
• HESSCO Elder Services: Is available to assist individuals 65 and older with making an appointment for the vaccine. You can call (781) 784-4944 to speak with someone at HESSCCO.
• CVS in Medfield: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available. 

Nearby Sites

• Natick Mall in Natick: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. Appointments are available starting Thursday February 18th. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available.
• Holtzman Medical Group at Mt. Ida Campus (UMass Amherst) in Newton: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available.
• Wegmans in Westwood: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available.
• Wegmans in Chestnut Hill: Is offering appointments to all eligible individuals under Massachusetts state guidelines. You may schedule an appointment here as they become available.

COVID-19 Vaccine Questions and Answers

Who is eligible to receive COVID vaccine now?
       People aged 75+ are eligible in the first part of Phase 2.   Groups who are part of Phase 1 remain eligible.

Where is the vaccine available?
       The vaccine is available by appointment only at mass vaccination clinics and at some municipal clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and physician offices.

How can I sign up for an appointment online?

• Visit the webpage:  http://www.mass.gov/covidvaccinemap and scroll down to the map
• Select the location on the map and proceed with scheduling an appointment online
• The vaccination sites have different formats and scheduling platforms, so the process for one may be different than another

I need help.  I've tried many times to schedule an appointment, but I can’t find one. 
Because there is a shortage of vaccine, and because most vaccination sites won't make appointments until they have doses available, there aren't enough appointments to meet the demand. However, new vaccine shipments arrive regularly, and new appointments do open up. We advise that you keep trying or contact the Dover Council on Aging at 508-315-5734

I need help.  I have a computer but need coaching about online registration and appointment scheduling
Please contact the Dover Council on Aging at 508-315-5734

I need help.  I can't use a computer to make an appointment..
If you are 75+ and aren't able to use a computer, please call 211 for assistance. Please be prepared for a long wait! See the graphic above for additional information. You may also contact the Dover Council on Aging at 508-315-5734

If I’ve had COVID-19, should I be vaccinated, and when?
       If you have had COVID-19, you should be vaccinated, as reinfection can occur, and it is very likely that vaccination will help prevent reinfection.  If you had COVID-19 and were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should defer your vaccination for three months following the treatment.  

After I have been vaccinated, can I stop wearing a mask and avoiding close contact with others?
       After you are vaccinated, please continue to wear a mask, wash your hands often, maintain physical distance, and avoid indoor settings with people who aren’t members of your immediate household. These measures remain important  because people who have been vaccinated sometimes can be infected and spread the virus even while they are  asymptomatic or very mildly ill.  

How can I stay up to date about COVID-19 vaccination?
       The Board of Health and Council on Aging will continue to post updates on the town website and will send them by email to people who have signed up for alerts or who are on the COA email list.  The Department of Public Health posts information updates at mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.