Baker 'Unhappy' As State Ramps Up Vaccination Efforts: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Wednesday, February 3. Aside from the fact that we are getting a break from the snowflakes for a while, here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Well, he ain’t happy: Gov. Charlie Baker expressed his displeasure with the state’s vaccination rollout, but has reason to believe better days are ahead.
• Boston City Council voted to do away with a special election in the case of Mayor Marty Walsh leaving office before March 5 at the beckoning of President Biden.
• Market Basket customers are suing, saying the grocery chain has been stiffing them in their coffee cans.

Scroll down for those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Wednesday’s Top Story

There, he said it. Gov. Charlie Baker isn’t pleased with the state’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

"I'm not happy with where we are. I know a lot of other people aren't either," Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday after touring Fenway Park, one of the state's mass vaccination sites. "We have work to do, and we know that."

That work has already started with 120,000 new appointments being made available next week — including 55,000 at mass vaccination sites — and improvements made to the cumbersome sign-up process that left senior citizens exasperated.

Some help could be coming from expanding where people can get vaccinated.

CVS will begin vaccinating eligible residents next week at 18 of the pharmacy's locations across Massachusetts, part of the federal government's efforts to broaden vaccine accessibility. CVS is starting with 21,600 doses of the vaccine, and more locations and appointments will be available as supply increases.

Nearby News

• Mount Ida Opens Vaccine Site In Newton
• Affordable Housing Proposal For Waltham's Armory Gets Put On Ice
• Marijuana Retailer Set To Open Shop In Brookline (that would make three)

Today’s Other Top Stories In Massachusetts

The Council has spoken: Boston City Council on Wednesday voted to eliminate a special election that would take place if Mayor Marty Walsh leaves office before March 5. Two councilors who have declared for the race and the would-be acting mayor took part in the vote that was near unanimous (another candidate voted present). If the Home Rule Petition finds favor with Walsh, the Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker, it will trigger a full-speed-ahead sprint toward the fall election.

Grounds for a lawsuit: A class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court accuses Market Basket of cheating customers who bought cans of coffee by about half the amount advertised. The lawsuit against the Tewksbury-based supermarket chain claims the company's house blend and decaffeinated coffee cans advertised having 79 and 76 cups worth of coffee, respectively. Third-party testing showed the cans only contained 39 and 37 servings, according to the lawsuit.

By The Numbers

76: That’s how many vaccinated healthcare workers the Patriots team plane will be taking to the Super Bowl this weekend, courtesy of the Kraft family.

In Case You Missed It

• Council Backs Mayor In Library Fight; Trustees Dispute Removal
• Regional North Shore Vaccination Effort At Salem State Sputters
• Falmouth Making Safety Changes On Route 151 Following Fatal Crash
• Police Chief Condemns Racist Threats Against Brookline Official
• Westford Woman Ran $100M Health Care Scam: Feds

Photo of the week, courtesy of Newton's Ruhina Tahir.

If you've got a stunning photo this week you've snapped of your town, head to Patch's neighbor post section and post it there with a note about where you took it and that you're posting it for consideration in Patch's photo of the week contest. Happy Wednesday!