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Rick Buaâs diagnosis a year ago was momentous for local public health officials, a sign that the virus was spreading and their lives were about to be turned upside down. His vaccination Thursday marks another turning point: For the first time, public health experts can see a path back to normal life.
âOn the West Coast, they do have community level transmission,â Dr. Monica Bharel, the stateâs public health commissioner, said March 4. âAt this point, we donât have evidence of that here in Massachusetts.â
Three days later, Buaâs test came back positive. Among the 13 cases identified in Massachusetts, he was the only one without a link to a known outbreak. âI was nowhere near the first patient that had the virus,â he said. âThe virus was here last winter. But I was the first person [in Massachusetts] who tested positive for community spread.â