July 15, 2020
News and Community Announcements
Keep up-to-date with the latest news from the neighborhood!

Reopening Phase III
Step 1in Boston Begins

Businesses that are reopening in Step 1 of Phase 3 must follow specific guidance. Face coverings, social distancing, sanitization, and hygiene measures remain in place, in addition to updated gathering limitations.

The state is restricting crowds in indoor enclosed spaces to no more than eight people per 1,000 square feet, or 25 people overall; Outdoor spaces can have 100 people.  You can learn more on the state's website.

Below are some but not all sector-specific guidelines.  Thanks to Patch.com for the synopsis.

  • Movie theaters and outdoor performance venues:
Forty percent of individual theater or screening room capacity; For outdoor performances, singing and the playing of brass and wind instruments is discouraged.
  • Museums, cultural and historical sites:
Forty percent capacity; Consider using timed entry tickets/reservations and imposing time limits for visits to ensure compliance with occupancy limits.
  • Guided tours:
Fifty percent capacity for buses or other vehicle (such as a trolley, harbor cruise vessel, or duck boat;) Walking groups of no more than 10 peoples.
  • Fitness centers and health clubs:
Activities such as Weight and resistance training; Cross training; Yoga; Martial arts; Spin classes; Boot camp training; Forty percent capacity; Equipment and exercise areas are spaced out at least 14 feet apart; Distribute hand sanitizer and disposable wipes abundantly throughout the space for workers and customers to disinfect their hands and equipment before and after use.
  • Certain indoor recreational activities with low potential for contact:
Includes batting cages, driving ranges, bowling alleys, go karts, and rock-climbing facilities. Things like roller skating rinks, tramp olines, obstacle courses and laser tag will open in part two; Forty percent capacity.
  • Professional sports teams, under the authority of league-wide rules, may hold games.
No fans.
Reopen Boston Fund
COVID-19 Reopening Grants for Small Businesses in the
City of Boston

The Reopen Boston Fund will help small businesses put in place the necessary public health guidance requirements needed to reopen in the coming months. The funds (grants) will be released in three rounds and will provide up to $2,000 for small businesses to install the required materials to implement public health measures and procure personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to reopen.  Applications and instruction available in 11 languages!

Reopening: Sector-Specific Protocols and Best Practices

Sector-specific mandatory safety standards and recommended best practices, including manufacturing, restaurants, retail businesses, and construction.

The following guidance has been updated for Phase III: Close contact personal services, drive-in movie theaters, golf facilities, laboratories, libraries, lodging, manufacturing, office space, places of worship, restaurants, retail businesses, and sectors not otherwise addressed.   Click here for reopening specific sector protocols and best practices.
Additional Information for Reopening PHASE III
In the City of Boston

City Hall remains open on a Tuesday and Friday schedule , for services by appointment at City Hall. We are formulating plans to increase access to services both at City Hall and other municipal buildings.

Despite state guidelines allowing larger gatherings, we will not be hosting public or private meetings in City Hall or other city buildings. 
  • On Monday, July 13, permitting starts back up for low- and moderate-contact sports and other events. High contact sports like basketball, football, and lacrosse are not permitted until Step 2 of Phase 3. But skills practice in those sports is allowed.
  • For outdoor events, the City is limiting attendance to 50 people. This is less than the statewide limit, which is 100. And people organizing or participating in events will be required to follow all the guidelines around face coverings and physical distancing. 
  • Boston Public Library physical branches will remain closed in Phase 3, out of an abundance of caution. But online borrowing will continue, as well as our new BPL to Go program. 
  • There are new sector guidelines available: for indoor fitness and health clubs, outdoor events, museums, cultural & historic facilities, and guided tours.

These are detailed operational guidelines that build on the state requirements. 
Visit boston.gov/reopening for more information
Temporary Mobile Sites for Testing

The City is partnering with a number of health centers on temporary mobile sites that offer free walk-up testing whether you have symptoms or not. 

We'll be bringing the mobile sites to neighborhoods where inequities are evident in the case numbers, or where fewer people are getting tested. 

Contact the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 for the latest on mobile testing in your neighborhood, or anywhere in the city.

Massachusetts Senate:
Reform, Shift & Build Act
A comprehensive police reform bill that would establish more limitations on police use of force, strengthen accountability measures for wrongdoing, and increase transparency in policing and use of funds.
Community Preservation Act Virtual Meetings

Please join us this month for another Community Preservation Virtual Community Meeting on Wednesday, July 15 th from 6:30pm – 8pm if you missed our meeting last month. Or join our smaller informal CPA Meet and Greets on July 21 st and 28 th from 12pm to 1pm.

Learn more about the Community Preservation Act, and share your project ideas with the CPA team! Get prepared for the next application round and learn about our eligibility from requirements.

Please RSVP by emailing thadine.brown@boston.gov . You will receive a login link after you sign up .  
Free 90-day pass from Blue Bikes for Employees of Grocery Stores, Pharmacies & Small Retail Shops

To support COVID-19 recovery, the Boston Transportation Department is offering free 90-day BlueBikes passes to some of our most important workers: those employed at grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and local retail shops. Pass-holders will be able to take as many trips as they like during the 90-day period.

Trips must be completed within 60 minutes to avoid usage fees. There is no obligation to continue paying for the pass once the 90 days are over.

Reimagining Summer in Upham’s Corner
This Friday, July 17th at 1pm.
Join our friends and collaborators as Company One hosts Episode 2 of their Better Future Series.
2-Weeks Online Summer Program on Artist-Activism for Teens

Zakiyyah has created a two-week online summer program that teaches teens (13-17) from all creative backgrounds how to use their art form to make a difference.

The program, entitled "Creative Revolution: Learn to Use Your Art to Make a Difference", covers a range of topics and will engage students on and off line.

Check out all the details by clicking here .

General Information & Updates

  • Meal Distribution Sites for Children and Youth: The City of Boston, in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations, will provide free meals to all youth and teens at various locations and times across the City.
  • Pharmaluxe Pharmacy Delivers: Contact Pharmaluxe to set up an account for home delivery of prescriptions and other first-aid items. Email: info@pharmaluxerx.com or call 617-238-5224.
  • Unemployment Insurance: Obtain updates about unemployment benefits and Coronavirus (COVID-19). Here is additional unemployment information.
  • Need Health Insurance Information: The Health Connector enrollment period has been extended.
  • Small Business Disaster Loan Assistance: The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here for information.
  • Boston Chamber of Commerce
  • The Boston Resiliency Fund is the City of Boston’s effort to help coordinate assistance. Click here for more information.
  • The official City of Boston Coronavirus Information Page where Mayor Walsh's team, including the Boston Public Health Commission is keeping the most current information and recommendations available for our local situation.
  • The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Coronavirus Resources Page.
  • Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Fact Page.
  • ISD Guidelines keeping your establishment safe. Click here for the steps you can take.
Additional Resources

  • City of Boston Health Line: 617-534-5050
  • Social Media Sites for Mayor Walsh - @Marty_Walsh
  • City of Boston - @CityOfBoston
  • Boston Public Health Commission - @Healthy Boston
  • 311 is the City of Boston information Line and 211 is the Massachusetts/NH Information Line
  • For all constituent services, please call 311
  • Please follow us on Twitter @EconDevBos
  • Facebook @ EconDevBos
  • For the Mayor’s Hotline for questions about COVID-19, please call 617-534-5050.
  • Text BOSCOVID to 99411 to opt-in to the City of Boston's daily text service for updates and information regarding COVID-19. This is a free service.
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Upham's Corner Main Street | 545 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA 02125