Are you in the gig economy and you’re now out of work due to the coronavirus shutdown? You now can apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance through the state (https://www.mass.gov/…/apply-for-pandemic-unemployment-assi…). Benefits are being made available to the self-employed, artists, independent contractors, workers with limited work history and others.

Mayor Curtatone is putting out the call for people to donate to the Somerville Cares fund at https://www.somervillema.gov/somervillecares. The money raised will help those who find themselves in need here in Somerville.

Mayor Curtatone orders CDBG funds be made available for emergency small business support

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone  announced the launch of a $1 million Somerville Small Business COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide financial support of up to $10,000 to Somerville small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by existing and pending federal Community Development Block Grant monies, support will be available to food establishments and other small, independent, locally-owned businesses impacted by forced closures during the crisis.

Restaurants can sell grocery items as part of pick-up and/or delivery services.

In an effort to both expand resident access to groceries and help restaurants affected by the COVID-19 crisis, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville Board of Health have issued an order allowing restaurants to sell grocery items for the duration of Somerville’s local state of emergency.

Dear Community Members,

Mayor Curtatone, Board of Health quarantine 65-unit building with 8 confirmed COVID-19 cases

Residents of the Mt. Pleasant senior apartment building in Somerville have been placed under a mandatory minimum 14-day quarantine after eight cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at the residence. The quarantine order, issued Saturday, April 18, by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Board of Health, goes into effect immediately. The 65-unit building houses seniors aged 62 and older and persons under age 62 with disabilities who are income-eligible. 

— Photo © Tero Vesalainen / iStock via Getty Images Plus

Unfortunately, during times of hardship, families are often targeted by fraud artists attempting to take advantage of those needing assistance. The COVID-19 crisis is no exception, with many scammers pretending to extend a critical lifeline to struggling homeowners through so-called “foreclosure rescue fraud.” According to Freddie Mac, this scheme involves bad actors offering false promises of being able to save your home from foreclosure. Common elements of this fraud include the following:

On Thursday, April 9, Somerville Media Center hosted a virtual town hall with Senator Pat Jehlen (2nd Middlesex District), Representative Christine Barber (34th Middlesex District), Representative Mike Connolly (26th Middlesex District) and Representative Denise Provost – (27th Middlesex District). SMC Board President Joe Lynch hosted. A video of the town hall is available for viewing on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQm50jON-GA.

— Photos by Doug Holder

On his hour and a half jaunt one day last week, away from hours and hours of online teaching related things, Doug Holder snapped photos of a couple of familiar Somerville landmarks. First, the Celebrate Somerville mural on the walls of Brooklyn Boulders, then the flag still standing tall on a wall on Harrison Street.

Normally there is an editorial from Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone in this space, but this week the City is instead sharing important information and updates about COVID-19.

Residents Advised to Wear Face Coverings in All Businesses and Public Areas

Last week Mayor Joe Curtatone and the Somerville Board of Health issued a public advisory in line with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that everyone over the age of two wear a clean face covering while in any public establishment or common area. This applies when entering any sort of essential business currently in operation such as grocery stores, pharmacies, laundromats, home improvement stores, and restaurant pickup sites. Face coverings also should be worn when entering and exiting multi-unit residences or commercial buildings and when passing through hallways or other common areas.