Dear all,
I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources.
As of today, there are 1203 Cambridge residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 99 residents have passed away. Learn more here. There are 110,595 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, including 25,932 in Middlesex County. 1,218,790 patients have been tested, and 8,427 have passed away. Learn more here.
Cambridge Updates
There will be protests this week Monday-Friday from 5-6PM at the Whole Foods Alewife store. Whole Foods workers are still not allowed to wear face coverings that say “Black Lives Matter.” If you plan to attend the protests, please remember to wear a face covering and practice social distancing.
There will be a second Shared Streets community webinar tomorrow, 8/4 at 6PM. City staff from the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department will provide an update on the Shared Streets program and information about its next steps.
There will be a Cambridge School Committee meeting tomorrow 8/4 at 5PM. Topics to be discussed include testing, outdoor classroom spaces, and equitable remote learning. You can sign up for public comment here.
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
Over the weekend, the state reported 643 new cases of COVID-19, up from 483 the weekend before, and 395 the weekend prior to that. New cases have exceeded 200 for 9 of the last 14 days. Samuel Scarpino, a Northeastern University epidemiologist has said that this is evidence that a surge of cases is coming and the state should roll back reopening.
Governor Baker Press Conference Updates:
Governor Baker did not hold a press conference today.
Federal Action Updates
The deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan through the Small Business Administration is this Saturday, 8/8. These loans are designed to provide an incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.
Where to Give
On Fridays throughout August, Cambridge CoHousing will be collecting food for the Chelsea Food Collaborative. Drop off is between 10 AM to 4PM at 175 Richdale Ave, the entrance to CoHousing, either in a paper bag or small box. If you don't see someone at the moment you come, please leave it just inside the gate where we will have boxes marked “For Chelsea.”
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