Friends,
COVID-19 is a global health emergency. We have some confirmed cases in Boston and need to so make sure we are doing everything to slow the spread. This virus will impact our most vulnerable and we must do our part to protect everyone at risk. Many people who contract COVID-19 only become mildly ill and are likely to pass it to others despite a lack of symptoms.
Residents should practice aggressive social-distancing and limit interaction with persons who are at high risk including older adults, anyone with pre-existing conditions or compromised health, and anyone who is pregnant. These are important measures to protect our health system and ensure that quality care is maintained for those who fall ill.
The health and safety of Boston residents is everyone’s top priority. That is why as of Sunday, March 15th Mayor Martin J. Walsh declared a public health emergency in the City of Boston and I applaud the Mayor's efforts to strengthen the City’s responsiveness to the pandemic.
The Mayor also announced the closure of all Boston Public Schools starting Tuesday, March 17th until April 27th. Food will be available for BPS students at certain locations through the city. Additional learning materials will be made available. Find more information on BPS closings and continued learning below.
For restaurants, bars, and all social gatherings: Governor Charlie Baker has announced that all restaurants and bars will switch to takeout and delivery services only and has limited all social gatherings to no more than 25 people. For more information, please visit this website.
Despite the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding COVID-19, there has been an unprecedented display of humanity from our community. The outpouring of offers to volunteer, donate, or assist with the City’s efforts has only cemented my belief that together we can fight anything that comes our way.
For those who are at-risk, worried or anxious, or anyone who needs to hear it right now: The City of Boston has your back. If you are interested in volunteering, there are ways in which you can help safely and at your own convenience. E-mail gabriela.coletta@boston.gov if you’d like to learn more about volunteer efforts for food pick-up coordination, information drop-offs, or services for the elderly.
If you can’t volunteer, the City of Boston has established a Boston Resiliency Fund to support those impacted by coronavirus. This money will pay for childcare for health care workers, expand internet and broadband for families in BPS, and fund necessary food access initiatives.
The next few months are going to be more difficult and different than anything we’ve ever experienced. I am asking for social solidarity from you to defeat this disease. It is incumbent on us to change our everyday decisions and modify our behavior but never lose sight of the kindness and shared humanity that exist in our neighborhoods.
Thank you to our brave health care professionals, first responders, public safety officials as well as service workers, commercial cleaners, and anyone else on the front lines battling COVID-19 to keep us safe. We are grateful to you and your service in protecting us all.
Although the Boston City Council and my physical office will tentatively be closed until the end of March, my staff is working around the clock remotely to assist our district. Call (617) 635-3200 if you need immediate assistance; or contact us via e-mail:
Gabriela Coletta - Chief of Staff
gabriela.coletta@boston.gov
Joel Wool - Director of Policy and Communication
joel.wool@boston.gov
Ricardo Patron - East Boston Liaison, Community Development and ZBA Lead
ricardo.patron@boston.gov
Michael Bonetti - North End Liaison and Charlestown Lead
michael.bonetti@boston.gov
I will continue to push out as many resources as possible both on my Facebook, Twitter, and via E-mail. Please remember to call the Mayor’s Health Hotline at (617) 534-5050 if you have any questions about coronavirus or visit Boston.gov for regular updates.
The work of government continues, and as always, we try to deal with daily matters while preparing for the future.
Lydia Edwards
Boston City Councilor
District One
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If you think you have symptoms of Coronavirus, please do not call 911, rather, call your healthcare provider or call 311 in Boston to be connected with the Mayor’s Health Line. It is extremely important to call before visiting a doctor to ensure the right precautions are made before you arrive.
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UPDATES FROM BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (BPS)
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**BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (BPS) ARE CLOSED FROM TUESDAY, MARCH 17TH, 2020 UNTIL APRIL 27TH, 2020**
Learning at Home:
Monday will serve as a transition day for students to pick up their belongings and parents and guardians can pick up student medication. Printed learning materials will be available at all schools for students to use at home while schools are closed. In addition, educational resources will be set up with Google Classroom, an online location where students and families can find materials and work independently on activities at home. Your student’s learning materials can be accessed here using their BPS Google account.
If you cannot pick up your student’s learning materials on Monday, we will have them available by grade level at meal sites throughout the City, noted below, beginning on Tuesday. We strongly encourage families to pick up their student's materials, either at school or online, to help prevent lost learning time that could occur during an extended time away from school and to keep students positively engaged.
- More information for students at the Eliot K8 and all three McKinley schools will be coming to them directly soon.
- Students with unique learning needs are important to us. In order to properly assess students’ unique learning and service needs, schools will contact the parents/guardians of English learners and students in special education programs to be able to make individualized decisions based on student needs.
- We will work with students nearing graduation to ensure they have access to Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT materials, as well as other important college and career pathway exams.
- We also want to make sure our high school students remain on track for graduation. We will work with our Re-Engagement Center on proactive measures to ensure students at high risk of dropping out remain engaged during these next several weeks.
Internet and Computer Access:
In the coming days, we will be releasing details for BPS families to receive no-cost options for Internet and computers as needed.
- Many Internet service providers have already offered discounted or no-cost options and we are working with providers to ensure families have access to home Internet.
- Chromebooks will also be provided to students in need of a device and BPS has purchased an additional 20,000 Chromebooks to assist with families in need. Each Chromebook will provide access to the learning activities above, as well as new learning resources to assist students.
- The new chrome books will be prioritized based on need and to students in grade 3-12. We will use our already established equity measures to make these determinations.
- Distribution sites will be set up throughout the City for students to receive a Chromebook. We are also working with our partners to ensure that families can access support services for technical help with their Chromebook or Internet access.
Meal Locations:
BPS will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all Boston students. This includes our community based early childhood providers, ESL students, charters, Metco, and Catholic parochial schools. BPS will distribute the meals at several dozen locations throughout the City of Boston beginning on Tuesday, March 17. A variety of packaged meal options will be available for pick-up Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 11:30 am. Click here for the full list. No child will be turned away.
Additionally, the City of Boston in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations will also be providing free meals to school-aged children at various locations and times across the city. Click here to view all the current meal locations and times. More locations will become available over the coming week.
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In response to coordinated efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, the MBTA will implement several changes to service levels effective with the start of service on Tuesday, March 17.
These changes are being made based on guidance from public health professionals and have been developed according to several criteria that seek to protect the health and safety of MBTA employees and customers, as well as recent reductions in ridership. Acknowledging guidance that recommends people avoid large crowds, the MBTA will operate at levels that support social distancing.
“The MBTA plays an important role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus while continuing to provide critical services to medical professionals and other employees in key industries that rely on public transit,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “While some of these changes are inconvenient, they maintain a responsible balance between protecting the health and safety of the MBTA workforce and our customers, and our goal of continuing to run safe and reliable service without major disruptions.”
As this situation evolves, the MBTA will continue assessing ridership needs with a particular focus on workforce access for hospitals, as well as food distribution locations operated by the City of Boston. As part of that ongoing assessment, the T will continue monitoring customer volumes and make service adjustments accordingly; this means if the T experiences an increase in ridership, capacity will be added as necessary.
A comprehensive list of schedule changes can be found at here.
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Rapid Transit:
On the Blue Line, trains can be expected to arrive approximately every nine to thirteen minutes. On the Orange Line, trains can be expected approximately every nine to eleven minutes.
On the Red Line between Alewife and JFK/UMass Stations, trains can be expected to arrive approximately every seven minutes. Red Line trains on the Ashmont and Braintree branches will run approximately every fourteen minutes.
Green Line trolleys will run every seven to thirteen minutes on the branches, with more frequent service on the trunk.
Bus:
MBTA buses will operate on a Saturday schedule with a number of exceptions. Select express bus routes 325, 326, 351, 352, 354, and 501 will operate according to regular weekday schedules.
Ferry:
Ferry service will be cancelled until further notice. Ferry customers who board at the Hingham and Hull terminals are encouraged to use West Hingham or Nantasket Junction Stations on the Greenbush Commuter Rail Line as an alternative.
Commuter Rail:
All Commuter Rail lines will operate on reduced schedules, which can be found at mbta.com. On all lines, Commuter Rail schedules are being modified to support targeted periods of peak travel while providing options for off-peak travel throughout the day.
Mattapan Line:
The Mattapan Line will run trolley service approximately every twelve to twenty-six minutes.
The RIDE:
The MBTA will continue to operate full service on the RIDE. The MBTA encourages RIDE customers to plan their trips accordingly and follow the guidance of public health officials while in close contact with older adults or people with underlying health issues.
CharlieCard Store:
The MBTA’s CharlieCard Store is located at 7 Chauncy Street within Downtown Crossing Station. Normal hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. In the event that hours of operation change, customers should check MBTA.com for updated service hours.
In addition to encouraging good hygiene practices and social distancing, the MBTA is continuing its enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, which includes:
- Disinfecting all fleet vehicles – buses, trolleys, subway cars, Commuter Rail coaches, ferries, and RIDE vehicles – every twenty-four hours;
- Disinfecting all MBTA customer business site locations, including the RIDE Eligibility Center, every twenty-four hours;
- Cleaning all high-contact surfaces such as handrails, fare gates, and fare vending machines in subway stations once every four hours.
The MBTA continues to follow guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, with the MBTA encouraging its riders and the public to:
- Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds;
- Cover coughs and sneezes;
- Stay home if sick;
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth;
- Clean areas that are frequently touched with sanitizing spray or wipes.
MBTA riders and Massachusetts residents are encouraged to visit mass.gov/COVID19 for information on COVID-19 and mass.gov/KnowPlanPrepare for additional preparedness tips.
For more information, please visit mbta.com/coronavirus, mass.gov/COVID19, and mass.gov/KnowPlanPrepare, or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.
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People are eligible for unemployment benefits when they lose their job or experience a reduction in work hours - click here to learn more.
To apply for unemployment benefits, click here.
The State Labor and Workforce Development Dept. of Unemployment Assistance are taking action to protect workers.
For current unemployment claims:
- All requirements regarding attending seminars at the MassHire career centers have been suspended.
- Missing deadlines due to effects of COVID-19 will be excused under DUA’s good cause provision.
- All appeal hearings will be held by telephone only.
- The Dept. of Unemployment Assistance must now pay unemployment benefits if a worker is quarantined due to an order by a civil authority or medical professional or leaves employment due to reasonable risk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member and does not intend to or is not allowed to return to work. The worker need not provide medical documentation and need only be available for work when and as able.
- To assist individuals who cannot work due to the impact of COVID-19, the administration is filing emergency legislation that will allow new claims to be paid more quickly by waiving the one week waiting period for unemployment benefits.
There are filing emergency regulations that will allow people impacted by COVID-19 to collect unemployment if their workplace is shut down and expects to reopen in four or fewer weeks. The following conditions apply:
- Workers must remain in contact with their employer during the shutdown.
- Workers must be available for any work their employer may have for them that they are able to do.
- An employer may request to extend the period of the covered shut-down to eight weeks, and workers will remain eligible for the longer period under the same conditions described above.
If necessary, DUA may extend these time periods for workers and employers.
- Employers who are impacted by COVID-19 may request up to a 60-day grace period to file quarterly reports and pay contributions.
The pending federal legislation proposes further relief including additional money for unemployment benefits, and relief to employers for charges related to unemployment benefits paid due to COVID-19.
To view the Governor's press release, click here.
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To understand your rights for Earned Sick Time, click here. You will find this available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and other languages.
Paid Sick Days, click here.
Earned Sick Time, click here.
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FOR SENIORS & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
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The MBTA is continuing The Ride full service. People with medical appointments or dialysis can still go out but are discouraged from running errands.
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If you are experiencing problems related to the current Coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak, please fill out and submit the form here.
This form will help activate the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program with the US Small Business Association when enough businesses have filed submissions. You will be contacted once the program launches to apply for assistance.
For the most up-to-date information, visit mass.gov/covid19.
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- MassHealth will cover all Coronavirus testing and treatment
- Effective today, MassHealth is allowing early refills and 90-Day supplies of medicine
- MassHealth will cover telemedicine and has expanded telehealth and telephonic services
- If you meet the income standard, need COVID-19 testing, and do not have health insurance, you will be automatically enrolled in MassHealth
- MassHealth has expanded insurance eligibility for uninsured residents who turn up at hospitals with an illness
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Click here for information and updates from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) on the Coronavirus or COVID-19
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