Today Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville Board of Health issued an order requiring senior housing facilities to share existing COVID-19 safety plans or formally create plans and policies aimed at increasing the safety of and maximizing the protection of their residents, who may be at higher risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms, as well as building staff. Building management must submit these plans within 48 hours of receiving the order.

Below is a message from the Somerville, MA Community Alert System. Sign up to receive these updates by email, text, or phone.

Dear Community Members,

Here is a COVID-19 update for Saturday, April 25.

Please also be sure to check somervillema.gov/coronavirus for information and resources that are updated frequently.

Applications for support are now being accepted for the donation-funded Somerville Cares Fund jointly launched by Mayor Joe Curtatone, the United Way, and the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS). The Somerville Cares Fund will provide emergency financial assistance to individuals and families during the COVID-19 public health crisis to meet needs such as food, housing, medicine, funeral costs, and other essential expenses. 

“These first 3,500 tests are a good start, but you can be sure we will be advocating for more. No matter who you are or whether you have health coverage, you should have access to this kind of free testing.” –Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

A new community-wide COVID-19 mitigation program for testing, tracking, contact tracing, and safe social isolation for Somerville residents was announced today by Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) CEO Assaad Sayah, MD, and Doug Kress, of the Somerville Board of Health. 

Below is a message from the Somerville, MA Community Alert System. Sign up to receive these updates by email, text, or phone.

Dear Community Members,

Here is a COVID-19 update for Tuesday, April 28.

Please also be sure to check somervillema.gov/coronavirus for information and resources that are updated frequently.

City buildings will remain closed to the public until at least Monday, June 1. Further delays are possible, and we will share updates as we continue to monitor the COVID-19 crisis.

The Somerville Arts Council wasn’t going to let spring go by without PorchFest, but to keep everyone healthy and safe this year, it will be CouchFest! On Saturday, May 9, from noon to 6 p.m., you can tune in to live and pre-recorded performances from local musicians right from your couch. To find out who is performing and when, visit this year’s CouchFest map at somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/2020.

In anticipation of the easing of statewide stay-at-home restrictions on May 18, the City is preparing for a phased resumption of construction under strict COVID-prevention protocols. In preparation for May 18, the State has also eased some restrictions on non-essential businesses and is seeking feedback on how to safely reopen the economy.

Starting this week, the City of Somerville will be distributing 100,000 civilian three-ply masks with a focus on getting masks to people most vulnerable to COVID-19. Because these masks can only be reused a limited number of times, the City is also putting out a call for donated cloth masks that can also be distributed to residents.