CORONAVIRUS: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MAYOR WALSH
Mayor Martin J. Walsh recently delivered a televised address to the people of Boston about the coronavirus pandemic and how we will get through this together as a City. As Bostonians, we are strong and resilient people, and in times of crisis, we show our best selves.
You can watch and read his speech here. For the latest on Boston’s planning and response to COVID-19, please visit boston.gov/coronavirus
Updates from the City:
As of March 19, 2020, there are 61 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Boston residents. So far, 10 of these 61 residents have fully recovered. This situation is evolving rapidly and changes day to day. BPHC will be providing additional information on cases as it is received from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
All Boston Public Schools are currently closed for students until Monday, April 27, 2020, directly following April Vacation. Should the situation improve on a faster timeline than expected, Mayor Walsh and Superintendent Cassellius will look into reopening schools before April 27 if that is what is best for Boston’s school communities.
With schools closed to students, the City will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch meals for pick-up to all Boston students. View a map of meal sites for children and youth. Sites and meal times are subject to change. Please check back to confirm information before you head to the meal pickup site.
We are providing Chromebooks to BPS students who do not have consistent access to a computer at home. Families received an email with a link to fill out a request form on March 17. After filling out the form, they will receive an email and text message to schedule an appointment. Distribution of Chromebooks will take place over several days. We want to make sure the process keeps everyone safe and does not create large crowds, so BPS is scheduling appointments for at home delivery of Chromebooks. Some principals have delivered them to their students directly. We expect to have the remainder delivered by Friday, 3/27. Parents can fill out the survey at www.bostonpublicschools.org/laptop
While the City is continuing with street cleaning, we are no longer ticketing or towing for street cleaning. Other parking rules are in effect to ensure public safety (e.g. no parking in front of a hydrant or a pedestrian ramp), to ensure public access to business districts (e.g. parking meters), or to ensure parking access close to home (e.g. resident parking). We will continue to review these policies.
On March 16, the City of Boston announced that it would temporarily pause some non-essential construction in the City of Boston. This is done to stem the current public health crisis and support the health of workers in the City.
The City will, on a case-by-case basis, review requests for exceptions to the temporary construction moratorium. These may be granted by the Commissioner of Inspectional Services for building-related work or the Commissioner of Public Works for street-related work. These will be granted if they support increased public health and safety. This policy is effective as of March 17 and will be reviewed at regular intervals. New projects cannot be started at this time, unless they meet the criteria above. Any currently permitted and active construction project must be in a secure situation by Monday, March 23. This policy only applies to projects permitted by the City of Boston.
