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Baker 'Pleased' With State's COVID Vaccine Progress After 'Lumpy And Bump' Start

BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he is "pleased" with the adjustments the state has made to its COVID vaccine rollout, despite early struggles.

Baker told WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller that despite a rocky start with issues on the state's vaccine website, he is happy the state was able to make adjustments.

"I am pleased about the fact that we made adjustments as we went along here. We said it would be lumpy and bumpy to begin with and it was," Baker said. "We're now performing as well as any state in the country with respect with shots in arms and people fully vaccinated. In the end I do believe by the time you get the end of May, beginning of summer, Fourth of July, whichever particular milestone you want to pursue, we're going to be as good as or better than any other state in the country and that's what the people of Massachusetts deserve."

Keller @ Large: Part 2 With Gov. Charlie Baker

 

Baker, whose approval rating has dipped in recent months, has not yet said if he plans to seek another term.

"I'm not really spending a lot of time thinking about this stuff," Baker said. "Once (Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito) and I get around to figuring out what we want to do, we'll plan accordingly."

Geoff Diehl, who unsuccessfully challenged Elizabeth Warren for her Senate seat in 2018, has emerged as a possible Republican primary opponent if Baker opts to run for re-election.

"I've been incredibly blessed to have this chance to serve, and the people of Massachusetts have been overwhelmingly kind and gracious to both me and the Lt. Gov. over the past five years, almost six years now," Baker said when asked about Diehl. "What I would say is these are extraordinary times. They create tremendous opportunity along with tremendous challenges. I think anyone who's interested in public life needs to recognize and understand that the challenges we face are significant, but the challenges our residents face go way beyond the challenges that we face. Bringing a little bit of that humility to these roles would make everyone a lot better off."

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