News

This year’s holiday season will be different. Due to the pandemic, many of us won’t be with family and friends as usual. But we can still celebrate! Keep in mind that the outlook for a more normal holiday season in 2021 is promising with a COVID-19 vaccine for the public on the horizon, and it is very likely that we’ll be able to celebrate the winter holidays in-person next year.

Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale announced the opening of the Transition Wellness Center (TWC), a new temporary emergency homeless shelter at the Spaulding Hospital.

Governor Baker announced that he will institute a statewide rollback to Phase III, Step 1 of the Commonwealth’s Reopening Plan on Sunday, December 13. Cambridge has remained at Step 1 of Phase III since the summer.

Effective today December 7, 2020, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has aligned its quarantine recommendations with those issued last week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new guidance is based on recent CDC data showing that shortened quarantine periods result in only a small chance that someone may develop COVID-19 after leaving quarantine. The small risk that someone may develop COVID-19 after a shortened strict quarantine period is outweighed by the expected benefit of reduced transmission from the expected increased cooperation with adherence to the quarantine, according to the CDC.

Because COVID-19 cases in Cambridge have increased, and have surpassed the thresholds set in partnership with our scientific advisors, CPS will make a temporary shift to remote learning for all students beginning on Thursday, December 10.

The City of Cambridge announced today that the Housing Stabilization Program has committed nearly $1.2 million to 245 Cambridge households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From December 1, 2020 through January 8, 2021, City of Cambridge departments will be conducting in-person appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale issued a letter to the Small Business Community. Ensuring our businesses can remain open is a community effort. We cannot let our guard down on our individual adherence to basic public health measures. Each of us has a responsibility to prevent the spread of this virus.

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, please keep in mind that the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community is to celebrate with the members of your household. If, however you do plan to gather with others outside of your household, please review the current state orders and follow the recommendations below from the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on how to slow the spread of COVID-19.

As COVID-19 cases rise across the Commonwealth and in Cambridge, the City wants to update you on all of the strategies and mitigations that we have put into place to keep us all safe.