Thursday 7/9 COVID-19 Updates

Dear all,

 

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

 

As of today, there are 1110 Cambridge residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 97 residents have passed away. Learn more here. There are 105,138 cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, including 24,348 in Middlesex County. 920,002 patients have been tested, and 8,053 have passed away. Learn more here.

 

Cambridge Updates

 

WMBR 88.1 FM will be airing 30 minutes of the town hall I held on children’s behavioral health during its nightly news program tomorrow at 5:30PM. I was joined for this town hall by Mary McGeown, Executive Director of Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Alice Cohen, Lead Teacher for Social Emotional Learning for Cambridge Public Schools, and Dr. Meredith Gansner, a psychiatrist who works in inpatient child/adolescent services. The recording of this WMBR segment will be posted on WMBR’s website for two weeks, and as always, you can find the full recording of this town hall and all previous town halls on CCTV’s website.

 

As a reminder, the application deadline for COVID-19 emergency and recovery grants for Cambridge non-profit organizations is tomorrow at noon. $10,000 grants will be awarded, and up to 100 awards are available.

 

Where to get tested: 

 

The Cambridge Public Health Department will be offering testing at the Pisani Center located at 31 Washington Street 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.

 

Those who have appointments booked at the East Cambridge mobile testing site should be aware that the site has moved to the Cambridge Public Library’s Valente Branch.

 

Translation Resources Available: 

 

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

 

State Action Updates

 

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.4841 An Act relative to accountability for vulnerable children and families. I was proud to speak in support of this bill, which would require DCF to create or update case management policies, establish a foster parents’ bill of rights, strengthen the integrity of the Child Advocate, improve data reporting, and require DCF to report on and analyze the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children. I shared the story of a friend who took in a foster child for three years, only to have their family torn apart due to DCF being overwhelmed. A foster family should never feel as though it is a punishment to need more support. Thank you to Speaker DeLeo, Representative Denise Garlick, Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Representative Kay Khan, Representative Tricia Farley Bouvier, Representative Aaron Vega, and Representative Paul Donato for your work on this important piece of legislation which will provide more in terms of support and accountability to these families.

 

The House of Representatives also passed H.2757 An Act to Mitigate Arbovirus in the Commonwealth which gives the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board more power to run a statewide mosquito control response and creates a commission to evaluate the state’s mosquito control practices.

 

Yesterday, Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian announced that seven people in his custody, including six who are participants in a work release and community work program have tested positive for COVID-19. These are the first cases of COVID-19 at the Middlesex Jail and House of Correction in six weeks.

 

Governor Baker Press Conference Updates:

 

Governor Baker did not hold a press conference today.

 

Reopening in Massachusetts: 

 

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

 

Where to Give

 

Tomorrow, Cambridge CoHousing will again be collecting food to go to Chelsea on Saturday.Drop off is between 10AM and 4:30PM 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"

 

WHAT IS MOST NEEDED:

  • bags of rice
  • pasta
  • dried beans
  • cereal (none sweetened)
  • tuna
  • canned soups
  • canned tomatoes and tomato sauce
  • diapers and wipes
  • pet food

Please no fresh foods -- those are supplied by a generous food producer

Also, no desserts, high sugar foods, or chips. THANK YOU!

 

Here is the LINK to the Chelsea Food Collaborative which this effort is supporting. Another option is to make a financial donation, via link at top of page.

 

Please email Anne Tonachel (annert@gmail.com) or Polly Attwood (polly.attwood@gmail.com) if you have any questions.

 

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 atMarjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.

 

Sincerely,

Marjorie

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