Boston Commits $1.5 Million to Vaccine Equity Grants as Positivity Rate Tops Threshold

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston launches $1.5 million Vaccine Equity Grant Initiative as COVID positivity climbs above city threshold. The mayor, joined by Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez, reported 264 new confirmed cases at Tuesday's weekly briefing, bringing the city's cumulative total to 65,992, with 1,355 deaths and 61,252 recoveries. No new deaths were reported in the period. The test positivity rate reached 5.1 percent, just above the city's 5 percent alert threshold, driven in part by an uptick among younger residents, though hospital metrics remained stable with ICU occupancy at 89 percent against a 95 percent threshold. The $1.5 million grant program, announced in the mayor's first week in office, is open to nonprofit organizations building equitable vaccine access for communities disproportionately harmed by COVID-19, with an application deadline extended to April 14 and awards expected later the same month.