New covid cases continue to decline

New covid cases in Wareham are at their lowest rate since before Thanksgiving, with only 37 new cases reported by the state as of Feb. 17. 

The town’s vaccination rate is at 57 percent. 

Just four students in Wareham Schools tested positive for covid this week, along with teo teachers. 

Town officials will be handing out rapid tests from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, and 1-4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in the auditorium in Town Hall.

Wareham received 14,000 test kits in total, which came from both the state and the town’s private deals with companies. The tests are iHealth antigen rapid tests, which take about 15 minutes to use and are also available in retail stores. Two tests come in each box, which sell for about $20 a box in some pharmacies.

The town has also acquired N95 masks, which it plans to hand out at the Special Town Meeting on Feb. 22.

Southcoast Health offers the Pfizer vaccine each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the clinic at 100 Rosebrook Way. For more information about Southcoast’s vaccination clinics, go to www.southcoast.org/covid-19-vaccination/.

Those eligible for the vaccine can find appointments at providers around the state using the state’s website vaxfinder.mass.gov. Those who would prefer to make an appointment online can call 211 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and navigate to the vaccine helpline by pressing one when prompted. The call center has workers on staff who speak English and Spanish, and there are translators available to support residents in about 100 additional languages.

Covid-19 tests are available by appointment at CVS, Walgreens and at Tobey Hospital. 

To make a test appointment through Southcoast, log in to your online MyChart portal. At-home tests are sold at Walgreens, CVS and Walmart, among other locations, but availability varies.

For help finding a test, go to https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test.