Fenway Park officially opened Monday as Massachusetts' second mass vaccination site, joining Gillette Stadium. But with a whopper of a storm headed for New England that could dump well over a foot of snow in many areas and create blizzard-like conditions, regional and local officials announced some scheduling changes when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine appointments and testing.
CIC Health runs both the Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park mass vaccination sites, and on Sunday night, the company announced changes to their vaccination schedules in anticipation of heavy snow.
"This is New England, we know the weather sometimes makes things harder, but we find a way," CIC Health said in a statement Sunday night.
Here's what you need to know:
Fenway Park
- Opening 1 hour early at 8 a.m.
- If you have an appointment between 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., please try to arrive one hour early.
- If you have an appointment between 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., please try to arrive between 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. instead.
- Please be patient upon arrival as we are doing our best to accommodate everyone.
- If you cannot arrive early or would like to reschedule, you will be invited to do so via email.
Gillette Stadium
- Opening at 8 a.m.
- If you have an appointment scheduled after 3 p.m., you will receive an email to reschedule for a new appointment on Wednesday, Feb. 3 through Sunday, Feb. 7.
- Please be patient upon arrival as we are doing our best to accommodate everyone.
Gov. Charlie Baker said Sunday night that if any Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccination locations close due to weather, people with appointments will be contacted to reschedule. Baker also said anyone who can't safely get to their appointment can also reschedule.
There's more information on the state's COVID-19 vaccination locations with contact details and sign-up information for individuals currently eligible to be vaccinated here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccination-locations
In Boston, the city's public health commission said the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Reggie Lewis Center would not open Monday due to the storm. Any appointments scheduled for Feb. 1 will automatically be rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 8, the Boston Public Health Commission said on Twitter.
The expected snowstorm was also affecting COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in other parts of the region, including Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The Rhode Island Department of Health announced COVID-19 vaccinations will not be happening on Monday at the state's regional clinics in Bristol, Providence, and East Greenwich.
These clinics are all operating on an appointment only basis, so anyone who had an appointment for Monday for the Bristol, Providence, and East Greenwich sites will be contacted directly about rescheduling.
The RI Department of Health said most of Monday's appointments were for first responders and healthcare providers, while some limited vaccinating of people 75 years of age and older had been scheduled for the clinics in Bristol and East Greenwich.
Rhode Island health officials also announced that all state-operated testing sites will be closed Monday due to the inclement weather. State sites are any of the locations scheduled through the state's website or the K-12 test scheduling service.
In Connecticut, the state's Department of Public Health warned residents that vaccine appointments may be cancelled due to the winter storm and asked vaccinators to provide rescheduling information and assistance to people with cancelled appointments.
Anyone with an appointment scheduled for the beginning of this week who has not already been contacted to cancel and reschedule their appointment should contact their provider directly to check on the status of their appointment.
State health officials also warned Connecticut residents that the winter storm could impact deliveries and distribution of the vaccine to the state’s providers although officials said they are making every effort to facilitate the transport of the vaccine to avoid further disruption to appointments scheduled for this week.
Gov. Ned Lamont's order limiting tractor trailer traffic on the state’s limited access highways -- which begins at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning -- allows for shipments of vaccine and all other emergency equipment necessary to fight COVID-19 to be delivered.
