Monday 7/13 COVID-19 Updates

Dear all, 

 

I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources. 

 

As of today, there are 1122 Cambridge residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 97 residents have passed away. Learn more here. There are 105,783 cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, including 24,536 in Middlesex County. 960,099 patients have been tested, and 8,115 have passed away. Learn more here.

 

Cambridge Updates

 

Tomorrow at 5PM there will be a Cambridge School Committee special meeting on back to school planning. There will be a discussion on CPSD’s proposed learning modes for the fall. You can sign up to view and provide public comment here. 

 

The City of Cambridge has posted information on its website about how to stay cool during extreme heat and COVID-19. 

 

You can find the most updated information on City of Cambridge departments and how to get in touch with them here. 

 

This Friday 7/17 at 2PM, the Cambridge Public Library will be hosting a virtual Meet the Mayor summer reading event for children and their families with Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and Vice-Mayor Alanna Mallon. 

 

Where to get tested: 

 

The Cambridge Public Health Department will be offering testing at the Pisani Center located at 31 Washington Street on Saturdays 7/18, 7/25, and 8/1 from 11AM-7PM. Details on scheduling appointments will follow. 

 

During the month of July, the Cambridge Public Health Department is offering free mobile testing for all Cambridge residents in North Cambridge, The Port, East Cambridge, and Harvard Square one day each week during designated hours. Currently, all appointments for the month of July have been booked. They have added another day, Saturday 11AM-7PM, to help meet the demand of the waitlist. 

 

Translation Resources Available: 

 

Multilingual city resources and information on COVID-19 are available on the City’s multilingual help page.

 

State Action Updates

 

Today, Attorney General Maura Healey, along with attorneys general from 16 other states and Washington D.C., filed a lawsuit that challenges the Trump administration’s change to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program that would require international students to enroll in programs with on-campus instruction in order to maintain their legal status. 

 

Governor Baker Press Conference Updates:

 

Today, the Governor announced $16.1 million in relief funding for 32 special education residential school providers. This funding will help to cover costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Reopening in Massachusetts: 

 

Governor Baker announced the launch of a new website that outlines the steps that residents can take to report businesses who are not complying with reopening standards and protocols. Residents can report businesses or workplaces that are non-compliant with mandatory workplace safety standards to their local board of health, or report it to the Department of Labor Standards by calling (508) 616-0461 x 9488 or emailing  safepublicworkplacemailbox@mass.gov

 

If you have thoughts or concerns about reopening in Massachusetts, you can submit questions and comments via this online form.

 

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: 

 

Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund

 

Cambridge Health Alliance

 

Cambridge Community Foundation

 

Food for Free

 

Greater Boston Food Bank

 

Cradles to Crayons Emergency Essentials Fund

 

Enroot Emergency Immigrant Cash Assistance Fund

 

Mount Auburn Hospital

 

The One Chelsea 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

 

Prisoners’ Legal Services

 

Boston NAACP

 

Massachusetts Bail Fund

 

ACLU of Massachusetts

 

As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.   

 

Sincerely,  

Marjorie

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