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A vaccine mandate for private-sector workers across New York City will take effect this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

The expansion of de Blasio's "Key to NYC" vaccination program, effective Dec. 27, will cover 184,000 businesses, he said. Vaccinations are already required for hospital and nursing home workers – and city employees including teachers, police officers and firefighters. A vaccination mandate for employees of private and religious schools was announced last week.

WORCESTER — UMass Memorial Medical Center had 70 people waiting for beds at the University Campus on Friday — eight of whom needed intensive care beds — as COVID-19 surges followed after the Thanksgiving holiday. 

UMass Memorial Health President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson said the worst is yet to come.

News outlets report on the decision of a superior court judge to deny requests from the fire department to delay the city's vaccine mandate, and a separate court decision which lifted a temporary injunction placed on San Diego Unified School District's student shot mandate.

The omicron variant is here in Massachusetts.

The state's Department of Public Health says it was detected in a fully vaccinated woman in her 20s who lives in Middlesex County. The department said the woman, who had traveled out of state, had a mild case of COVID-19 that did not require hospitalization.

WORCESTER, Mass. — Massachusetts and 15 other states, including Connecticut, have confirmed the presence of the omicron coronavirus variant as of Sunday night — and federal health officials say it is just the beginning.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been rising in Massachusetts and across the country over the last several weeks, signaling a potential winter surge that could put further strain an an already stressed health care system, as doctors are urging people to get vaccines and booster shots.

NORTHBOROUGH – Representatives of the UMass Medical School Police Department set up shop in Northborough, Dec. 4 for a “stuff-a-cruiser” donation drive to benefit foster families.

Chief Clanford Pierce, Sergeant Gregory Markiewicz and Officers Gladys Matos and Patrick Clements all gathered at Northborough’s Walmart location.

Case numbers are rising, the positivity rate is increasing, and the number of people fully vaccinated has plateaued. And, there's a new variant on the rise: omicron. This week on Ask the Docs, we take listener calls with Dr. Michael Hirsh, Medical Director of the Department of Public Health in Worcester, and director of pediatric trauma at UMass Memorial Health, and to Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Health, to answer all of your COVID questions.

The Leapfrog Group honored 149 hospitals with its annual Top Hospital Award. Of those, 72 are teaching hospitals. 

The Leapfrog Group used data from its annual hospital survey to identify the top hospitals. Selection is based on excellence across several quality standards and areas of patient care, including surgery outcomes, medication safety and infection rates.

Worcester, Mass, - UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest system of care in Central Massachusetts and a member of America’s Essential Hospitals, is hosting its first-ever (virtual) Health Equity Open Forum tomorrow.