Fenway Civic Association

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from the City of Boston:

COVID19 CASES
The City of Boston has 284 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) in Boston residents. So far, 25 of these 284 residents have fully recovered. There have been 2 COVID-19 related deaths in Boston residents.

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 1,838 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) and 15 deaths reported at this time.

Ensuring that residents have accurate, up to date information about the coronavirus is critical during this public health crisis. The City of Boston has launched two dashboards to provide statistics on COVID19 cases in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.The first dashboard includes a day-by-day breakdown graph of the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, and tracks daily updates from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the number of COVID-19 cases. The second dashboard includes information specific to the City of Boston, including total daily cases, recovered cases, and total cases over time. The dashboard also tracks the levels of testing done throughout the United States. View them here.

The City of Boston also has a free texting service to provide daily updates and information about the coronavirus. Text BOSCOVID to 99411 to opt-in for English. Language and communications access remains a priority for Mayor Walsh, so this text service is also available in Spanish, Haitan Creole, French, Cabo Verdean Creole, and Portuguese.
Text BOSEspanol for Spanish
Text BOSKreyol for Haitian Kreyol
Text BOSFrancais for French
Text BOSKriolu for Cabo Verdean Creole
Text BOSPortugues for Portuguese

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.

Arabic: boston.gov/covid-19-ar
Cabo Verdean Creole: boston.gov/covid-19-cv
Simplified Chinese: boston.gov/covid-19-zh
Spanish: boston.gov/covid-19-es
Somali: boston.gov/covid-19-so
Russian: boston.gov/covid-19-ru
Vietnamese: boston.gov/covid-19-vi
French: boston.gov/covid-19-fr
Portuguese (Brazil): boston.gov/covid-19-pt
Haitian Creole: boston.gov/covid-19-hc

STATE OF MA UPDATES
On Wednesday, March 25th, Governor Baker issued an emergency order requiring all schools and non-emergency childcare centers to stay closed throughout April and reopen no sooner than May 4th. Emergency childcare will continue throughout this timeframe as well. This order expands on previous orders issued on March 15 and March 18 suspending normal educational operations at schools and non-emergency child care programs until April 6.

On Tuesday, March 24th at noon, Governor Baker ordered all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 Essential Services” to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public as of Tuesday, March 24 at noon until Tuesday, April 7 at noon.

A full list of “COVID-19 Essential Services” can be found here.

Governor Baker also directed the Department of Public Health to issue a Stay at Home advisory outlining self-isolation and social distancing protocols. This advisory goes into effect as of Tuesday, March 24 at noon until Tuesday, April 7 at noon. The Order limits gatherings to 10 people during the state of emergency, a reduction from the 25-person limit established in an earlier order.

Residents are advised to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel and other unnecessary activities during this two-week time period. Residents over 70 years of age or with underlying health conditions, who are considered at high risk when exposed to COVID-19, should limit social interactions with other people as much as possible.

BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND
Mayor Walsh launched the Boston Resiliency Fund which supports food access, technology to support at-home learning, and the needs of our healthcare workers and first responders, including childcare. We met our goal of $20 million after a little over a week of fundraising — and we are still taking donations.

$5.4 million in grants from this fund has been released to the following organizations:
Senior and Low-Income Food Providers:
The Greater Boston Food Bank which supplies and supports food pantries across the region.
Ethos which delivers Meals on Wheels to 8,000 seniors. This will allow it to serve more people.
Fresh Truck which will work with partners to deliver fresh produce to households in need.
Community Servings which provides healthy meals to critically ill people and their families.
Project Bread which is a statewide resource for people looking for food resources.
Health Care for Vulnerable Populations:
Boston Healthcare for the Homeless to assist them in screening, testing, and operating the new medical tents that we created near our shelters.
Boston Medical Center to care for patients, support staff, and sustain safe hospital operations
Pine Street Inn to increase cleaning of their facilities and work with the Boston Public Health Commission to staff quarantine sites for the homeless.

We’re going to keep growing the fund, and 100% of the money will continue to serve these kinds of needs. For information on donating or applying for funds, visit boston.gov/coronavirus

CITY OF BOSTON COVID19 OPERATIONS
All essential City of Boston services such as public safety, public health and maintenance operations including street cleaning, trash and recycling pick up, etc will continue to be in operation.

While City Hall is still open and running for critical operations, we discourage anyone from coming in unless they have an urgent need for services that cannot be done by phone or online. If you have questions, call the City’s hotline at 3-1-1 to get connected to a department.

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 closure has been extended to May 4th following today’s announcement by Governor Baker. The City of Boston, in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations, has been providing free meals to all youth and teens at various locations and times across the City. Learn more about meal distribution locations here.

As part of our efforts to continue serving our students, Boston Public Schools are providing Chromebooks to students who do not have consistent access to a computer at home. Parents can fill out this application and email their school principal to receive an appointment time to pick up their student’s device to avoid creating crowds. To date we have distributed 18,000 laptops to BPS students.

Boston Public Schools is partnering with Catie’s Closet to continue to provide wrap around care for families. Last year we announced free menstrual products for students and BPS will still have them available throughout the school closure. Catie’s Closet has supplied 500 toiletry packages to each of our 16 BPS emergency meal sites.

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

BCYF Tobin at 1481 Tremont Street — 9:00 AM – 2:00 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
BCYF Madison Park at 55 Malcolm X Blvd — 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
BCYF Quincy Community Center at 885 Washington St — 9:00 AM – 2:00 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

GROCERY STORES AND PHARMACIES
Governor Baker issued a new order requiring grocery stores and pharmacies to observe the following COVID19 Guidelines:
Provide at least one hour per day of shopping for adults over 60-years-old.
Offer sanitation options, such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, as available, to clean shopping carts and points of frequent contact.
Appropriate social distancing policies, including a marked “Social Distancing Line,” beginning six feet away from all checkout counters.
Close any self-serve food stations
Instruct store employees who are ill to stay home, and for stores to accommodate employees who fall in the high-risk category with alternative assignments to limit exposure.

The Statewide plastic bag ban has been lifted (along with fees) throughout this State of Emergency.

TRANSPORTATION OFFERS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

The City of Boston is working with commercial parking garages across Boston who are offering lower rates for medical staff. A comprehensive list of participating garages can be found here.

BlueBikes will offer a 30-day, unlimited trip pass for $0 for hospital staff. Please note that bikes are disinfected regularly including high-touch areas such as handlebars and seatposts. More information can be found here.

EMERGENCY CHILDCARE OPTIONS
Emergency childcare programs are being made available to emergency workers on a limited basis who have no other option for childcare during this public health crisis. If possible, please arrange for your child to receive care in a non-group setting.

Priority will be given to certain people, including but not limited to health care workers, essential state and human service workers, COVID-19 health workers, grocery store employees, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, transportation and infrastructure workers, sanitation workers, DCF-involved families, and families living in shelters.

A comprehensive list of options can be found here.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
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. Please see the (attached) updated temporary construction guidelines. Additional information can be found here.

HOW YOU CAN HELP COVID19 EFFORTS

Stay home if possible. If you must go outside, practice physical distancing from others (6 feet apart); avoid crowded places.
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.
Donate supplies to first responders here
Donate to the City of Boston Resiliency Fund here
Fill out the 2020 Census. The 2020 Census is happening now and only 16.7 percent of households have responded. 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

Please send this important message from Rep. Livingstone.

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.

Good Morning,

The Mayor’s Office has asked that we distribute this request to the entire membership. Please fill out the form if you are able to help!

http://bit.ly/helplitdrop

The city will be conducting a City-wide information distribution regarding COVID-19. This lit drop will include many different languages, and it is important that our residents receive the necessary information in a timely manner. This distribution will take place THIS SATURDAY only from 9 AM – 5 PM. I am looking for trusted and reliable captains who are healthy and willing that can manage material distribution to volunteers and social distancing. Additionally, volunteers can sign up for 2 hour shifts, making the process easier, but meaning that we will need more to sign up.

Please do what you can — whether you can be a captain or simply distributing the info to your networks! We are so appreciative of your work and dedication.

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates as of this morning:

On Monday, March 16, Mayor Walsh announced the formation and launch of the Boston Resiliency Fund, which will coordinate the City’s fundraising and philanthropic efforts to provide essential services to Boston residents whose health and well-being are most immediately impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and assist first responders and critical care providers. The Fund is being launched together with the support of a growing number of private and philanthropic partners, including the Vertex Foundation, Partners HealthCare, Jack Connors, Liberty Mutual, Gross Family Foundation, Bain Capital, John Hancock, John & Cyndy Fish, Mass Mutual and Shah Family Foundation.

As of Monday, March 16, 2020, the City of Boston has 33 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) in Boston residents. This situation is evolving rapidly and changes day to day.

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 197 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive).

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
Starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020, BPS families can pick up their prepackaged student meal options at dozens of locations every weekday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. during the BPS closure. Please be aware that some sites are subject to change. You may call 311 for the most up to date information. Learn more about meal distribution locations.

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

BCYF Tobin at 1481 Tremont Street — 9:00 AM – 2:00 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
BCYF Madison Park at 55 Malcolm X Blvd — 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
BCYF Quincy Community Center at 885 Washington St — 9:00 AM – 2:00 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

MCKINLEY SCHOOLS (SOUTH END):

On Sunday, Boston Public Schools became aware that a member of the McKinley School community was being tested for the coronavirus. We are relieved to be able to update you that this test came back negative. There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the McKinley School community. Students can pick up their learning packets at a food distribution site closest to their home. Information about those locations is available at bostonpublicschools.org/coronavirus. Boston Public Schools will let the school community know soon when they can come pick up their belongings from McKinley Schools.

If anyone associated with the McKinley School community develops fever, cough, or shortness of breath, please contact your doctor or the Boston Public Health Commission at the Mayor’s Health Line, 617-534-5050.

LICENSED PREMISES:

The following restrictions from the City of Boston’s Licensing Board go into effect on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020.
No restaurant (with or without an alcoholic beverages license), bar, club, private club, social club, or entertainment venue may at any time allow more than twenty five (25) individuals in the licensed premise including staff.
No establishment may serve food or alcoholic beverages for on premise consumption. This effectively means a complete prohibition on the service of alcohol with the exception of retail package stores.
Establishments may only serve patrons food via take-out and delivery.
Any restriction or regulation prohibiting take-out is temporarily lifted.
Establishments must remove or rope off all seating in the licensed premise.
Establishments must abide by the CDC’s social distancing policies.
Establishments offering take-out and delivery may stay open to the closing hour currently listed on their license.
Massachusetts General Law does not allow for a Section 12 Licensee to sell alcoholic beverages to go. Any change would require emergency legislation at the state level. The Board has consulted with the ABCC and there is no plan to adopt such legislation.
Please note, the Licensing Board Hearing for Wednesday March 18th, 2020 has been canceled and indefinitely canceled going forward.

CONSTRUCTION SITES:

Effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020, We are suspending all regular activities at construction sites in Boston. Employers should maintain the necessary crews to keep their sites safe and secure, keep any materials from blowing away, and prevent trespassing. This work needs to be completed in the next week, by Monday, March 23, 2020. After sites have been secured, skeleton crews will be permitted for the remainder of this suspension to ensure safety. The only work that will be permitted moving forward will be emergency work, which will need to be approved by the City of Boston’s Inspectional Services Department.

That essential work includes:
Emergency utility, road or building work, such as gas leaks, water leaks and sinkholes;
New utility connections to occupied buildings;
Mandated building or utility work;
Work at public health facilities, healthcare facilities, shelters, including temporary shelters and other facilities that support vulnerable populations;
Work which ensures the reliability of the transportation network;
Other work necessary to render occupied residential buildings fully habitable.

In addition to the list of essential construction projects, 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. 


BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY:

As of 6:00 p.m. Monday, March 15th, all branches of the Boston Public Library (BPL) system are closed until further notice including the central library in Copley Square. BPL will expand automatic renewals, and allow people to keep their books and other materials for an additional 15 weeks, instead of the standard three weeks.

All late fines will be waived until May 1, 2020 and library patrons will have until October to renew their library card if it is set to expire. In the coming days and weeks, BPL will increase online services, including ebooks, downloadable movies, audio books, and other information resources.

As a part of the City’s school closure plan, Chromebooks are being distributed to every BPS student who needs them. Students will be encouraged to make use of the BPL’s vast collection of resources during this time.

BOSTON CENTERS FOR YOUTH & FAMILIES:

All BCYF pools, gyms and fitness centers are closed. By this Wednesday, March 18, 2020, all BCYF programming will be suspended. Only select BCYF centers will be open for youth meal distribution during school closures. For a list of meal distribution locations, go to boston.gov/coronavirus.

BOSTON PARKS AND RECREATION:

The health and safety of park users is our top priority. City of Boston parks remain open at this time. Maintenance and operational functions continue uninterrupted. The following operation changes have been made as part of the City of Boston’s response to Coronavirus.
Although parks remain open for “passive recreation” (such as walking or jogging) at this time, park users are advised to follow the guidelines recommended by the Boston Public Health Commission:
Practice social distancing (remain at least six feet away from other people).
Wash hands, utilize hand sanitizer, and cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your inner elbow.
Limit time in public areas and avoid congregating in groups.
Stay home if you feel sick.
Park permits have been suspended through April 27, 2020.
Cultural and recreational programming has been suspended.
Community engagement forums for our planning, design, and construction activities will be postponed until a later date.
Events that are subject to the open meeting law (Parks Commission Meetings, Tree Removal Hearings) will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. There are no public meetings scheduled for March.
Please call 617-635-4505 or email parks@boston.gov if you have questions about a particular event.

The following qmeetings and events postponed until further notice:
All BTD Connect Downtown Office Hours
All BCYF events and programs
All Boston Public Library events
All Boston Parks Dept cultural and recreational programming
Mayor Walsh’s Youth and Jobs Resource Fair 3/28/2020
To protect Bostonians and their families from the spread of the virus, residents are reminded to practice caution: 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. Residents are also reminded to practice social distancing: keep your distance from others (6 feet apart); avoid crowded places.

Residents are asked to not call 9-1-1 unless you are experiencing a medical emergency. All COVID-19 questions should be directed to 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.

We will continue to keep you informed as we continue to receive updates.

Thanks,
Shanice