Like you, I am watching the news anxiously as the world deals with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, commonly known as the Coronavirus. Many of you have sent questions about the City and what we are doing to prevent the spread of infection, especially for our residents who are older and have underlying health issues. While there are currently no positive cases (presumptive or confirmed) among Cambridge residents, Mayor Siddiqui has been meeting regularly with Chief Public Health Officer Claude Jacob and other City staff, who have organized a COVID-19 working group that is assisting in guiding and coordinating the City’s response. The City and the School Department have also updated their websites with pages dedicated so we can communicate with you about this rapidly evolving issue. Please find the pages here:
We will continue to update these pages as more information is known, and as we announce new procedures and protocols. In particular, many people have asked me about how we will meet the nutritional needs of our students in the case of a school or district-wide closure. I assure you that, alongside Mayor Siddiqui, City and School leadership as well as with Food For Free, we are developing a plan to ensure our kids have what they need should schools be closed. Currently, no school closures have been announced in Cambridge at this time.
Additionally, many large organizations and institutions in Cambridge have announced large scale closures to assist in “flattening” the cases of infections and not overwhelm healthcare facilities and hospitals. We need to be taking preventative measures to shield vulnerable populations against the threat infection. At the same time, as Cambridge residents, we should be mindful of our small, local businesses at this time who may not be able to weather the large scale closures of their patrons and losing employees virtually overnight in some cases. We have so many small businesses that could use your support and your dollars in the coming weeks, so if you can, show them some love.
If you have any questions, please contact my office at any time by calling (617) 349-4263, or by emailing amallon@cambridgema.gov.