Fenway Civic Association

Please see updates regarding COVID-19 in Boston as of April, 29th, 2020.

COVID-19 CASES

PRECAUTIONS INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE

EXTENSION OF STATEWIDE STAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES ORDER

EXPANDING ACCESS TO TESTING

BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND NEW GRANTEES

FOOD ACCESS UPDATE

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS

RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

EXPANDING INTERNET ACCESS

LOVE YOUR BLOCK SUNFLOWER SEED CARE KITS

CITY OF BOSTON COVID-19 OPERATIONS

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS UPDATE

CONSTRUCTION

HELP COVID-19 EFFORTS

STAY INFORMED

 

COVID-19 CASES

The City of Boston has 9,055 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) in Boston residents. So far, 1,986 of these 9,055 residents have fully recovered. There have been 340 COVID-19 related deaths in Boston residents.

 

The City posts race and ethnicity data for deaths, as well as for confirmed cases on boston.gov/coronavirus. The data shows that of the 293 deaths in Boston, where race is known, 43% are white, 34% are black, 8% are Asian or Pacific Islander, 11% are Latino, and 4% are identified as other. The City of Boston’s COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force meets regularly. They are identifying key strategies to address inequities including expanded testng, data sharing and analysis, and strengthening neighborhood outreach.

 

The Boston Public Health Commission will be providing the updated total of cases in Boston residents as it is received from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Information can be found at boston.gov/coronavirus or bphc.org.

 

Massachusetts has 60,265 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) and 3,405 deaths reported at this time. Massachusetts has also tested 265,618 individuals to date.

 

The City of Boston has two dashboards to provide statistics on COVID19 cases in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.  View them here.

 

The City of Boston has a free texting service to provide daily updates and information about the coronavirus. Text BOSCOVID to 888-777 to opt-in for English. Language and communications access remains a priority for Mayor Walsh, so this text service which was available in Spanish, Haitan Creole, French, Cabo Verdean Creole, and Portuguese, now includes Somali, Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Russian.

• Text BOSEspanol to 888-777 for Spanish

• Text BOSKreyol to 888-777 for Haitian Kreyol

• Text BOSFrancais to 888-777 for French

• Text BOSKriolu to 888-777 for Cabo Verdean Creole

• Text BOSPortugues to 888-777 for Portuguese

• Text BOSSoomali to 888-777 for Somali

• Text BOSChi to 888-777 for Simplified Chinese

• Text BOSbilAraby to 888-777 for Arabic

• Text BOSViet to 888-777 for Vietnamese

• Text BOSRus to 888-777 for Russian

Updates in 10 total languages can additionally be accessed through boston.gov/coronavirus#multilingual-help. Each language has its own page and hosts multilingual print materials distributed citywide.

 

PRECAUTIONS INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE

We know that the biggest tools we have to limit the spread of COVID-19 is physical distancing and proper hygiene. Mayor Walsh offered the following reminders in his remarks today.

• The Mayor urged residents to stay home and avoid contact with others; respect the recommended curfew from 9pm to 6am; wear a face covering whenever they leave home; stay at least six feet from other people at all times; wash their hands and clean and sanitize surfaces frequently.

• The Mayor made a specific plea to runners and cyclists. He said that they need to wear a face covering when exercising in order to protect themselves and others. He reminded residents that many people who are infected with COVID do not show symptoms, and may not be aware that they are passing it along when they run or bike near others.

• The Mayor repeated his call for people to not hesitate to seek medical help if they are experiencing a medical emergency. If residents are having mild or moderate symptoms consistent with the coronavirus, they should call their doctor or the 3-1-1 Health Line. But if they are having a medical emergency of any kind, including difficulty breathing, chest pains, or signs of stroke, they should call 9-1-1 immediately. That also applies to anyone who feels threatened by violence in the home, or is aware of abuse going on.

 

EXTENSION OF STATEWIDE STAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES ORDER

Mayor Walsh voiced support for the Governor’s decision to extend the stay-at-home order, the ban on non-essential businesses operating physical locations, and the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people until May 18.

• Governor Baker has created a Reopening Advisory Board, composed of public health, state and local government, and private industry leaders. As a member of the 17-person board, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Kathryn Burton will be the City of Boston’s point person for coordinating the state and city reopening framework. More information including a full list of the Reopening Advisory Board members can be found here.

• The Boston Public Health Commission’s Public Health Emergency remains in effect until further notice. The curfew advisory has been extended to May 18. All measures taken by the City of Boston will continue to be guided by local public health data and expert advice.

EXPANDING ACCESS TO TESTING

This week, with support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, three more community health centers will start offering COVID-19 testing: Fenway Health in the Fenway neighborhood; Driscoll-Neponset Health Center in Dorchester; and Charles River Community Health in Brighton.

• When these three new sites are up and running, there will be a total of 19 testing sites operating in the City of Boston. Locations, hours, and contact information for all open sites are available at boston.gov/coronavirus.

• The City continues to conduct universal testing for Boston’s homeless population in both city-run and nonprofit shelters.

• Antibody testing of 1000 residents is also underway, and should be completed by the end of this week. Participants will be tested for the presence of antibodies as well as for the COVID virus itself. The data from the antibody testing program will provide a snapshot of how prevalent the outbreak is in certain zip codes, and provide important insights into how the virus spreads. We appreciate all of the residents participating as testing will empower them with knowledge about their own status.

BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND NEW GRANTEES

So far, including today’s awardees, the Boston Resiliency Fund has raised a total of $27.4 million from nearly 5000 donors, and distributed $15.2 million to 165 organizations.

• Today, 18 organizations were awarded a total of $1.4 million including community health centers, the Greater Boston Food Bank, local food providers in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan; organizations serving seniors; organizations serving unsheltered homeless people; and organizations serving immigrant communities that provide culturally specific food and services.

• Full list of grantees can be found here

 

FOOD ACCESS UPDATE

The City of Boston and its partners have served more than half a million meals at 65 youth-oriented meal pickup sites across the city since the school closure went into effect.

• He acknowledged the financial hardships that people are going through and pledged to continue providing support.

• Seven of these meal sites are now serving adults, focusing on the neighborhoods with the greatest needs. The newest one opened today at the East Boston Social Center. Tomorrow, an eighth site will come online at the BHA’s Alice Taylor apartments in Mission Hill.

• A map of meal sites and information about other food resources are available at boston.gov/coronavirus.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS

On April 29th, Mayor Walsh announced that the City of Boston has secured over $10 million in Federal funding to re-supply rental relief and small business relief programs and meet other essential needs. With May 1st on the horizon and the rent or mortgage due for many, we also wanted to remind folks of the following resources.

• Anyone struggling to pay their rent or mortgage should reach out to their landlord or bank and ask what options are available.

• The City is working with its non-profit partners to process 800 applications for the Rental Relief Fund; and it’s working with the State and Federal governments to identify additional resources for this program.

• Today the Mayor announced that two additional banks, Leader Bank and Berkshire Bank, have signed on to the City’s Foreclosure Prevention Plan, bringing the total to 17 lenders. Participating lenders agree to defer mortgage payments for at least three months, and more if necessary; to not report late payments to credit rating agencies; and to provide scheduled repayment plans.

  • Other recent signees include the Boston Firefighters Credit Union, and the lenders that work with Mass Housing and the Mass Housing Partnership on first-time homeowner programs.

• The Mayor reminded residents that if they are having a difficult time paying their mortgage, they should reach out to their lender. The Boston Home Center is also available to provide additional assistance at 617-635-HOME. More information here.

• The State of Massachusetts also passed legislation to ban evictions and foreclosures during the public health emergency.

RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

We encourage small businesses impacted by COVID-19 to reach out to the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development about resources that may be available. Email smallbiz@boston.gov for more information.

• By the end of this week, the City’s Small Business Relief Fund, which started with $2 million, will have distributed 83% of those funds to over 500 businesses in the City of Boston.

• New federal funding will allow the City to fulfill all eligible and approved grant requests for small businesses in the industries most impacted by the COVID-19 response.

EXPANDING INTERNET ACCESS

• So far, the City of Boston has distributed over 30,000 free Chromebook laptops and 2,400 free WiFi hotspots to get families online. We will continue to provide these resources, which are important as the next phase of distance learning is introduced by BPS in the coming week. To request a Chromebook, go to bostonpublicschools.org or call 3-1-1. To request WiFi hotspots, please contact your child’s school directly.

• For anyone who already has internet service, Boston’s internet and wireless providers agreed to suspend service cut-offs and late fees through March and April. Verizon, Comcast, and RCN have extended their pledge through June 30.

 

LOVE YOUR BLOCK SUNFLOWER SEED CARE KITS

Love Your Block in partnership with The Roxbury Sunflower Project and Eastie Farms will be giving away free sunflower seeds with care instructions to anyone who requests a packet.

• Our goal is to promote mental health wellness and passive family friendly activities that will help beautify our communities.

• Requests can be made here and will be filled on a first come basis until supplies run out.

• Learn more about The Roxbury Sunflower Project led by artist Ekua Holmes here and here

 

CITY OF BOSTON COVID-19 OPERATIONS

All essential City of Boston services such as public safety, public health and maintenance operations including street cleaning, parks maintenance, trash and recycling pick up, etc will continue to be in operation.

• City Hall is open to the public only on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 am.to 5 pm

• Public access to 1010 Massachusetts Avenue is limited to the Boston Public Health Commission on the 2nd Floor and residents must be accompanied when entering the building.

• Everyone entering City Hall, including employees and members of the public, will be required to complete a self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms, including elevated temperature.

• Residents are required to make appointments if they need to visit any of the essential services offered out of City Hall, and can learn more about the status of city departments and hours of operation here. 

 

Residents are asked not to call 9-1-1 unless you are experiencing a medical emergency. All COVID-19 questions should be directed to the Mayor’s Health Line at 617-534-5050 or 311. The City and BPHC will continue to provide updated information on bphc.org and boston.gov/coronavirus.

 

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

Boston Public Schools will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The next phase of learning from home starts on Monday, May 4. Families will receive additional information from the Superintendent later this week about attendance, grading, and schedules.

• Schools will be creating individualized learning plans for students with the highest needs, to make sure no one falls behind. These expectations may continue to evolve as the City gets further guidance from the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the US Department of Education.

• The City of Boston continues to support remote learning for BPS students, including setting up more than 2,000 wifi hotspots, distributing more than 30,000 laptops, and serving free breakfast and lunch every single weekday to youth and children at 65 locations. To date, the City has served more than half a million meals at youth meal sites. We also operate six adult meal sites for grab-and-go meals. A map of Boston’s food resources can be found here.

• We are focused on students’ social and emotional health. Going forward, every school will have a Student Support Team to monitor students’ well-being, engagement, and progress.

• We will continue to share more details about our plans for the Boston Public Schools throughout this week.

 

Meal Distribution sites near Fenway, Kenmore, and Mission Hill include the following:

BCYF Tobin at 1481 Tremont Street — 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM 
Boston Latin School at 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur — 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

YMCA at 316 Huntington Ave — 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Blackstone Elementary School at 380 Shawmut Ave — 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Vibrant Boston Community Center at Lenox/Camden at 136 Lenox St — 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

 

CONSTRUCTION

Due to the public health emergency caused by the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Walsh announced that he is extending the City of Boston’s order to pause non-essential construction for City of Boston permitted sites. The initial order announced on March 16th was set for 14 days and will now continue until further notice. Additional information can be found here.

 

HELP COVID19 EFFORTS

• Stay home. If you must go outside, practice physical distancing from others (6 feet apart); avoid crowded places.

• Wear a face covering if you absolutely must go outside. Face covers help reduce the risk of a person spreading the virus, especially if they are asymptomatic. Visit CDC guidelines on face coverings for more information and guidance.

• Observe the recommended curfew for everyone in Boston except for essential workers to stay at home from 9 pm to 6 am daily

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol; avoid shaking hands

• Cover your coughs and sneezes; clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces; and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• If you think you might be sick, please call your doctor or 311 to be connected to the Mayor’s Health Line 617-534-5050. Buoy Health has created a free online diagnostic tool which screens for COVID19 at buoy.com/mass.

• Donate supplies to first responders here

• Donate to the City of Boston Resiliency Fund here

• Volunteer with the City of Boston here

• For Food access needs, visit our Food Resources Map or call 3-1-1

• Fill out the 2020 Census. The Census informs how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years. It’s more critical than ever to ensure that all Bostonians are counted.

 

STAY INFORMED

Receive the latest COVID19 info from reliable sources. Visit: bphc.org/coronavirus; boston.gov/coronavirus; mass.gov/2019coronavirus. Call: 311 or 211

 

We will keep you informed as we receive updates. Stay healthy and stay safe.