Dear all,
I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources.
As of today, there are 1193 Cambridge residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 99 residents have passed away. Learn more here. There are 109,787 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, including 25,706 in Middlesex County. 1,180,605 patients have been tested, and 8,389 have passed away. Learn more here.
Cambridge Updates
This Tuesday August 4th, the Cambridge School Committee will be holding a meeting and discussing issues like COVID & air ventilation testing, academic standards, and childcare. You can find the agenda here and sign up for virtual public comment here.
As a reminder, the Cambridge Women’s Center will reopen this Monday, August 3rd to provide outdoor programming, offering laptops & wifi, resource referrals, and a safe community space in their backyard as well as walk up services providing food & material assistance. Those going to the Women’s Center must wear a mask at all times, and masks can be provided.
Where to get tested:
During the month of August there will be free mobile testing for Cambridge residents provided by the Cambridge Public Health Department at the following locations:
- Jefferson Park Clinic will offer testing on Wednesday, August 5 10AM-8PM
- The Pisani Center will offer testing on Saturday, August 8 11AM-7PM
To schedule an appointment, call 617-665-3795 or sign-up online.
Testing capacity will be increasing throughout the month. The City will release appointment slots one week at a time to avoid no-shows, which have been increasingly occurring.
If you are feeling symptomatic and feel the need to get tested sooner, you can call your primary care provider to make an appointment to be tested.
Translation Resources Available:
Multilingual city resources and information on COVID-19 are available on the City’s multilingual help page.
State Action Updates
The House of Representatives is in session today deliberating climate change legislation for the second day, H.4912 An Act creating a 2050 roadmap to a clean and thriving commonwealth. I was able to secure language that establishes a council on workforce that will inform protections for labor as we move towards a cleaner energy state. I am also thankful that House leadership worked with me to begin our state’s work towards a renewable energy future by accepting my language that would increase our state’s renewable portfolio standard, requiring electric energy suppliers to use a greater percentage of renewable energy to power our state.
The RMV will be piloting drop-off registration and title services at the Braintree Service Center starting this Monday 8/3. The Boston / Haymarket Service Center, Chicopee Service Center, Haverhill Service Center, Milford Service Center, Taunton Service Center, and Wilmington Service Center will follow beginning Monday, August 10th. Registration Drop Off Centers will be dedicated to performing a number of vehicle-based registration and title services for both commercial and individual customer transactions on a drop-off only basis.
As a reminder, starting tomorrow, August 1st, all visitors and returning residents who are entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders. All those who do not meet an exemption will be required to complete a travel form prior to arriving in Massachusetts and either quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result unless they are coming from a lower-risk state. Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day
Governor Baker Press Conference Updates:
Today, Governor Baker held a press conference at the State House. He cited situations in which people gather and do not wear masks or do not keep their distance as being the source for recent COVID outbreaks.
Where to Give
If you are able to give to others during this time, I encourage you to look to the following places that are working to help those most affected by COVID-19:
Cambridge Community Foundation
Cradles to Crayons Emergency Essentials Fund
Enroot Emergency Immigrant Cash Assistance Fund
I also encourage you to donate to the following organizations that are engaging in racial justice work:
Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
Families for Justice as Healing
As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie