Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with public health and Cambridge updates.
This month, I would also like to highlight Cradles to Crayons’ request for children’s pajamas. Cradles to Crayons provides clothing to low-income and unhoused children in Massachusetts and relies on donations to combat clothing insecurity. If you’d like to donate, their Amazon wishlist can be found here.
Table of Contents
Public Health Updates
Cambridge Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Services and Resources
Public Health Updates
DPH Awards $3.1M in Grants to Support Youth Problem Gambling Prevention
On Monday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced $3.1 million in grants to community-based organizations to address the impacts of problem gambling among youth and expand workforce development programs. According to DPH, the 2021 MA Youth Health Survey found that over 40% of high school and middle school students had gambled the previous year. The department’s Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) will provide $2.1 million to the Youth Leaders in Problem Gambling Prevention initiative, a peer-to-peer program designed to actively engage young people ages 12-21 in problem gambling prevention. This initiative, led by the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center in Boston, the Public Health Institute of Western MA, and the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University, is aimed at building programs that empower young people to lead and develop problem gambling prevention, advocacy, and community strategies to raise awareness of problem gambling and related health issues throughout the state.
CDC Issues Travel Health Notice for Rwanda Amid Marburg Outbreak and Will Screen Certain Travelers
Rwanda is currently facing its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD). US health officials are preparing to screen travelers entering the US who have recently been to Rwanda for symptoms of the disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), MVD is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever and has an average fatality rate of 50%, although fatality rates have been as high5 as 88%. Initially, human infection results from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies. MVD is then transmitted to people through direct human-to-human contact. The Republic of Rwanda's Ministry of Health reported cases of MVD in seven districts around the country, and the number of infections has increased. On September 27, the Republic of Rwanda declared an outbreak of MVD and has reported 56 illnesses and 12 deaths from the disease as of October 8. Most of those infected are health care workers, particularly those who work in intensive care units. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been no reported cases of Marburg in the US, and the risk of infection in the US is low.
WHO Approves First Mpox Diagnostic Test for Emergency Use
The World Health Organization (WHO) approved a diagnostic test for mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, for emergency use last Thursday. The aim is to increase global diagnostic capacity and access. The diagnostic PCR test, Alinity m MPXV assay manufactured by Abbott Molecular Inc., is the first to receive approval under the agency’s emergency use listing and was designed for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel. On August 14, the WHO declared the outbreak of the viral infection a global public health emergency following the surge in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other neighboring countries in Africa, the second mpox declaration in two years. In 2024, over 30,000 suspected cases were reported across the continent, of which only 37% had been confirmed through a test.
New Survey Shows LGBTQ+ Women Face Disproportionate Rates of Mental Health and Barriers to Care
The National Center for Lesbian Rights released the results of the Urvashi Vaid National LGBTQ+ Women’s Community Survey, finding that 22% of LGBTQ+ women respondents have attempted suicide and 66% reported seeking treatment for trauma. The survey reviewed the responses of 5,000 LGBTQ+ respondents who previously or currently identify as a woman and was conducted between June 2021 and June 2022. An analysis of the survey results showed that LGBTQ+ women experience considerable health disparities, mental illness, and barriers to care such as under-utilization of the health care system. Research shows that 77% of adults in the U.S. have a primary care doctor, but only 55% of respondents reported being under the care of one.
Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Rule to Remove all Lead Pipes in the U.S.
This week, the Biden-Harris administration issued a final rule through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requiring water utility companies to identify and replace all lead pipes across the United States within the next decade. This rule, known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, also cracks down on lead levels in drinking water by introducing the most stringent limits since federal standards were established over 30 years ago. Lead is a toxic metal that harms human health, and the World Health Organization considers it a major public health concern. Although the installation of lead pipes was prohibited at the federal level in 1986, older lead pipe infrastructure was not immediately replaced, resulting in continued lead exposure through contaminated drinking water concentrated in environmental justice communities. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health impacts of lead if exposed, including learning and behavioral problems, stunted growth, and anemia.
Cambridge Updates
DCR Traffic Advisory for Memorial Drive Improvements
From Tuesday, October 15, through Tuesday, November 26 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will intermittently close lanes and implement detours along Memorial Drive from Magazine Street to Audrey Street via the BU Bridge rotary to accommodate more than $1.5 million in safety upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists.
The safety improvement work includes widening the shared use path leading to the BU rotary; improving and reconfiguring wheelchair ramps and median islands at the intersection of Memorial Drive and the BU Bridge; replacing nearly 700 linear feet of existing Boston Pattern Fence; restriping the crosswalks; and implementing a speed limit reduction to 25 mph along the BU Bridge corridor. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site. More information on the work can be found here.
Flu and COVID Vaccine Clinics
Throughout October, the Cambridge Public Health Department will be offering COVID-19 and flu vaccines to adults and children who live in Cambridge. Registration is encouraged, and you can bring your insurance card if you have one. Medical staff will be on-site to answer any questions. You can learn more about the clinic and sign up here. The schedule for the clinics is below:
Wednesday, October 16, from 10am-2pm: Cambridge Senior Center (806 Mass. Ave)
Thursday, October 17, from 3-6pm: King Open School (850 Cambridge Street)
Friday, October 18, from 1-4 pm: Cambridge Community Center (5 Callender Street)
Wednesday, October 23, from 3:30-6:30 pm: Reservoir Church (170 Rindge Avenue)
Thursday, October 24, from 4-6:30pm: Pisani Center (131 Washington Street)
MBTA Income-Eligible Reduced Fare Program
At the beginning of this month, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced expanded access to reduced fares for income-eligible riders. The new program provides riders 18-64 who have low income with reduced one-way and round-trip fares of approximately 50% off on all MBTA buses, subway, Commuter Rail, ferries, and paratransit (The RIDE) travel.
Program participants can demonstrate eligibility via existing enrollment in programs with a cutoff of 200 percent of the federal poverty level (or lower), including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Transitional Assistance for Families and Dependent Children (TAFDC), Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled & Children (EAEDC), MassHealth CarePlus, MassHealth Family Assistance, MassHealth Limited, MassHealth Standard, and MASSGrant. You can learn more and apply for the program at mbta.com/fares/reduced/income-eligible
A Glimpse at the Past Week
On Sunday, I stopped by Harvard Square Business Association’s (HSBA) annual Oktoberfest. This is always one of my favorite community events, and it’s incredible to see Harvard Square transformed into a marketplace for local vendors and a stage for local performers. It was great to see so many friends and neighbors and eat delicious food on a beautiful fall afternoon. Thank you to HSBA for the work and dedication you have put into hosting this event over the past five decades!

On Monday, I met with advocates and constituents from Mothers Out Front Cambridge. We spoke about our shared commitment to addressing climate change in Massachusetts and my optimism for a climate bill moving through the joint conference committee process this session. I also got to show them around the State House for a tour, including the House floor!
I spoke with this year's Civic Action Project (CAP) Collaborative Executive Fellows alongside Speaker Robert DeLeo and John Rosenthal, President of Stop Handgun Violence. The three of us discussed the ways our work within government and business has impacted social policy, particularly gun safety. Speaker DeLeo recounted the incredible effort he led on gun safety during his time in the Legislature, which contributed to making Massachusetts one of the safest states in the nation.
This session, through the leadership of Speaker Mariano and House Judiciary Chair Michael Day, the Legislature passed a gun safety omnibus that builds upon the work initiated by Speaker DeLeo. Over two years, Chair Day held 11 public hearings around Massachusetts to draft the bill at Speaker Mariano's request.
I am proud that several bills I filed reflecting our work on ghost guns, red flag laws, prohibited spaces, and data collection were included in the omnibus that was signed into law in July. In 2021, we lost 247 lives to gun violence in Massachusetts; although this number makes us a state with one of the lowest number of gun deaths in the nation, Speaker Mariano has continued to make gun safety and leading on gun control a priority.
I am grateful to have been a CAP Collaborative Executive Fellow in 2022, spoken to multiple cohorts of CAP fellows, and hosted a CAP intern in my office.
Cambridge Public Health Helpline Supports Residents with COVID-19
To speak with someone, call the confidential COVID-19 Hotline at 617-933-0797. Learn more here.
Intimate Partner Abuse Prevention Helpline
This initiative is designed to prevent intimate partner violence by fostering accountability and change in people who harm or may harm their partner. You can find more information at 10to10helpline.org or by calling 877-898-3411.
SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Helpline
SafeSpot is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at safe-spot.me or access it by calling 800-972-0590.
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
De Novo is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling to people with low incomes. You can learn more about their services at denovo.org.
MassLegalHelp.org is a resource to help Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. The website does not offer legal advice or answer individual questions but has a page about options for finding a lawyer. It does provide resources for those facing legal issues, such as a landlord refusing to make repairs, appealing the denial of SNAP benefits, and questions about getting a CORI sealed.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie