Dear all,
I write to you this evening with relevant COVID-19 updates and resources.
As of today, there are 1237 Cambridge residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 99 residents have passed away. Learn more here. There are 113,198 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. 1,353,299 patients have been tested, and 8,547 have passed away. Learn more here.
Cambridge Updates
There is a ballot dropbox located in the basement of 51 Inman Street. You can drop your ballots off there Monday-Thursday between 8:30AM-4:45PM. The City hopes to have 8 additional ballot dropboxes installed across the city for the general election.
An outdoor heat lamp pilot will be expanded and will help outdoor dining last further into the fall. Thank you to Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon for her hard work on this and collaboration with the Harvard Square Business Association and the Cambridge Fire Department.
The Cambridge Health Alliance is holding a youth-led “Mental Health Matters” Zoom event on August 18th from 4-5:30PM hosted by their 2020 Summer Youth Mental Wellness Internship team. Participants will have the opportunity to meet peers and mental health experts from the Greater Boston area while raising awareness for mental health with the help of psychology professionals and teen voices. You can watch a short video about the event here and register here.
Starlight Square is now open and has a live website where you can learn more about this project and those behind it and see a calendar of upcoming events.
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:
- The Pisani Center (131 Washington St) on Saturday, August 15th 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 RMV is expanding online services for business partners and residents.
- Businesses can use the RMV’s Online Service Center for numerous transactions and services. There are business-specific portals for charitable groups, driving schools, driver verification, IRP customers, school bus companies, inspection stations, insurance industry, professional licenses, and Section 5 registrants.
- Residents can use myRMV to process transactions and services including renewing registrations, requesting a title, renewing or replacing a license or an ID, applying for a learner's permit, updating contact information, and making payments. You can also use myRMV to schedule a reservation at a service center for transactions that cannot be completed online.
Today, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that he is concerned about the arrival of college students to Boston coming from states that have been hit harder by COVID-19. He stated that many colleges have submitted their plans for testing and quarantine and safety protocols and encouraged schools that had not to do so.
Governor Baker Press Conference Updates:
Governor Baker did not hold a press conference today.
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
Union of Minority Neighborhoods
As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie