The Massachusetts Medical Society is pushing for a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces, with COVID-19 cases rising and straining hospitals, as several cities and towns have already reinstituted mandates in their communities.

REGION – The Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of its year-end awards earlier this month, recognizing businesses and individual contributors to the area business community.

Worcester and eight other police departments will be conducting a gun buyback program Saturday as part of a collaborative initiative to try to reduce the number of firearms in the community.

People can drop off firearms, unloaded and wrapped up or in a bag, and collect a gift card for groceries without having to provide identification or weapon information.

Despite having one of the nation's highest vaccination rates, Massachusetts is in the midst of a full coronavirus resurgence. The state's daily case average is now at its highest point in nearly a year, and in the last month alone, new hospital admissions have more than doubled.

HOLDEN (CBS) – Karen Raphaelson walks very carefully around her active dogs these days, just off knee replacement surgery that she had to wait a year for. “It’s been pretty bad, I’d fall a lot, my knee would give out,” said Raphaelson.

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.

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, 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.

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.