COVID

Janey says Boston’s COVID metrics are headed in a good direction

"Our goal is to vaccinate as many city of Boston workers as possible because we know the vaccine is the best tool to protect ourselves and those we love."

Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey makes remarks to staff and administrators during a visit to the Tobin Community Center, in this Tuesday, June 8, 2021 file photo, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

By Julia Taliesin

September 30, 2021

1 minute to read

Acting Mayor Kim Janey shared some good news Thursday: Boston’s rates of COVID-19 are declining and vaccination rates among the city workforce are rising.

The percent positivity in Boston is 3%, and no neighborhoods have a rate over 8%, which Janey said “places us firmly below our threshold of five percent,” The Boston Globe reported.

All of Boston’s key COVID-19 metrics are below the threshold of concern. Though hospitalizations rose in the last week from 116 to 125, the overall number is still well below the threshold.

“This increase is mostly among unvaccinated residents and remains below our threshold of concern on each of the public health COVID metrics,” Janey said at a press conference outside City Hall.

Per Janey’s August mandate, each of the city’s 18,000 employees have to provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing, and so far 13,332 have verified their vaccination status, the Globe reported.

“HR staff and contractors are currently processing hundreds of additional submissions to complete verification of the employees included in phase one [of the city employee vaccination mandate],” Janey said.

Citywide, 72% of residents have received at least one shot of the vaccine and nearly 65% are fully vaccinated. Every neighborhood is above 60% vaccinated except Mattapan, which is at 52.9%.

Janey continued to emphasize the importance of widespread vaccination Thursday.

“Our goal is to vaccinate as many city of Boston workers as possible because we know the vaccine is the best tool to protect ourselves and those we love,” she said. “Our public health approach to the vaccine rollout has helped to make Boston one of the most highly vaccinated big cities in the country.”