News

This is intended as a community conversation on how we can best support you in the days ahead.

In keeping with the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Cambridge Public Health Department, the City of Cambridge today is strongly recommending that residents wear face coverings anytime they are outside of their home, especially in public settings in which physical distancing measures (ensuring 6 feet of space or more from others) are difficult to maintain. Those areas include grocery stores and pharmacies.

The City will begin accepting applications for the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund on Monday, April 13, 2020. Under guidelines issued by the Fund’s Trustees, the City will be prioritizing applicants who demonstrate a loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis.

To assist families throughout the Commonwealth, the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services launched a Nursing Home Family Resource Line on April 8. Through this dedicated telephone line, staff are connecting families of residents in nursing homes or rest homes with the information and resources they need.

On March 19, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale activated the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund for Covid-19 to raise money for individuals and families impacted by the virus outbreak. Tomorrow, April 8, the City will be releasing the eligibility and distribution guidelines and application process for Cambridge residents to apply for funds donated to the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund. The City of Cambridge seeks to assist as many people as possible through these funds.

Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale today announced matching donations of $250,000 each from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to cover costs associated with the creation of a Temporary Emergency Shelter at the War Memorial Recreation Center, Field House, and garage.

Today, City of Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, City Manager Louis A. DePasquale, and Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Assaad J. Sayah announced an Emergency Order “Establishing a Moratorium on Eviction Enforcement and Non-Essential Entry by Property Owners and Their Agents Into Occupied Dwelling Units in the City of Cambridge” for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Cambridge has confirmed that its Temporary Emergency Construction Moratorium, which was originally instituted on March 18, 2020 on all construction activity for both public and private property will remain in place. Additionally, the City today released guidance to contractors that are approved to work during the moratorium. This new guidance is part of the City’s continuing efforts and commitments to safeguard the health of construction workers, all other workers associated with the construction industry and members of the public.

On Friday, March 27, President Donald Trump signed into law a $2 trillion economic stimulus package known as the CARES Act to provide relief to residents and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Below, please find a frequently asked questions resource that aims to provide clarity on how you or your business may benefit from this bill.

On March 31, Governor Baker extended the stay-at-home advisory and non-essential business closure that was set to expire on April 7 until May 4, the same date that schools are to remain closed until. The 10-person limit on gatherings in the state has been extended as well, following a similar extension by the federal government.