It is critical that we continue to practice physical distancing, continue staying home whenever possible, wearing face coverings, washing hands, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces regularly. According to public health officials, Boston still has not yet reached its peak in cases, so practicing these steps are more important than ever.
Please
text BOSCOVID to 888-777 to sign up for daily updates about our COVID-19 strategy. More information is available on
boston.gov/coronavirus.
1) As of April 26th, there are
7,910 positive cases of COVID-19 in the City of Boston.
Click here for additional statistics on COVID19 cases in Boston and Massachusetts.
2)
Boston has 15 testing sites in community health centers and hospitals across the City. Residents are strongly encouraged to call ahead for pre-screening and to schedule an appointment. Residents will not be charged for testing and residents will not be asked about immigration status.
A full map of testing sites is available here. This link will be updated as new sites become available.
3) The City will begin
sharing testing data per neighborhood. On Fridays, the City will release reports on the number of people tested and positive testing rates per neighborhood. The latest data was shared on Friday, April 24 and
can be found here.
4) The
City will begin allowing restaurants to sell groceries including produce, paper products and more. Restaurants will still be required to limit physical occupancy to 10 people. To sign up for this policy, restaurants musts submit a health and safety plan to the licensing board.
Click here for guidance on this policy.
5) Today, the Small Business Administration will begin their
second round of federal funding for small businesses under the Payroll Protection Program. Information on the loan application
can be found here.
6) Last week, Governor Baker announced that
schools will remain closed and operate remotely for the remainder of this academic year. The City will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch during this time. Boston Public Schools has issued a
needs assessment survey to all students in the district to understand their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families should respond to the survey to help us determine how to better support them throughout the school closure. The survey is available in 10 different languages.
7) The Boston Transportation Dept is providing
ticketing amnesty for medical workers during the pandemic. Tickets will be waived on appeal by emailing
[email protected] with a copy of the ticket and hospital ID. Please
click here for additional information about this policy.
8)
Emergency childcare programs, including nearly 40 in Boston, will continue to operate for first responders and other essential workers. You can
find a list of programs here.
9) The City secured the agreement of 12 of the largest housing lenders in Boston
to defer homeowners’ mortgage payments by 3 months, and longer if needed.
Click here to learn more about the
Mortgage Relief Partnership during the pandemic.
10) City of Boston will move forward with
universal testing for COVID-19 (coronavirus) for all unhoused individuals in Boston.
11) City Hall is
operating on reduced hours and will only be open to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9AM to 5PM. If you need to visit City Hall for essential services, you must make an appointment and must complete a self screening upon entering the building.
