My updates relating to COVID-19 for Thursday, December 3, 2020.
Below are Mayor Walsh’s remarks for December 3, 2020.
The state numbers yesterday (Wednesday): there were 4,613 new confirmed cases, for a total now of 225,787. There were 46 new deaths reported, and 10,588 people have now passed away.
In Boston yesterday (Wednesday), there were 418 new confirmed cases, for a total of 28,053. No new deaths today, and the total is 925.
Our prayers are with the families and those who are suffering.
Testing data for the week ending on November 26: We had an average of 4,570 people tested each day, down from 4,800 the week before. That does not include college testing. The average number of positive tests each day for Boston residents was 195. That’s up slightly from a few days earlier. Our current community positivity rate was 3.9%. That has also begun to tick back upward. Dorchester, East Boston, and Hyde Park remain the neighborhoods with the highest positivity, and last week they were between 7.0 and 7.8%.
After a couple weeks of reduced activity, we are seeing an uptick — a significant uptick. In the last two days, we’ve had 825 new cases in Boston. Yesterday’s number for Massachusetts (4,613) was the highest since the pandemic began. In addition, we are seeing more patients admitted to Boston hospitals due to COVID-19. Since Friday, we’ve seen an increase of about 70 patients in Boston hospitals. We’re seeing more patients being moved into Intensive Care beds. So, we are seeing the increase in viral activity, and we are seeing the impact of that activity, with people getting seriously ill.
We’re going to be monitoring the data closely, and looking to bring resources where it is needed. In the meantime, we need everyone’s help to stop the spread. I ask everyone to think, especially, about elderly and vulnerable neighbors and family members. They are bearing the brunt of this.
Please wear a face covering — that covers your nose and your mouth — when you are outside your house. Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer. Clean and disinfect your surroundings. Take these precautions in your workplace. If you are an employer, make sure your workers have what they need to be safe, and allow as many people to work from home as possible. Seniors, please continue to take extra care and stay at home as much as possible.
I’m again asking everyone to get tested. If you have reason to think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, get tested right away. If you traveled for Thanksgiving, or were in a gathering larger than your household, get tested as soon as possible. If you haven’t been tested before, or you haven’t been tested in a while, get tested.
Currently, we have over 30 testing sites in Boston. You can find them listed and mapped at boston.gov/coronavirus, or you can call 311. We continue to expand our testing capacity, especially for communities with the highest rates of infection.
Our free mobile testing sites this week are in East Boston, in Central Square Park; Roxbury, at Washington Park Mall; and Jamaica Plain at Anna Cole Community Center. This site is open through 7:00 p.m. this evening, and it will continue into next week, so watch for more information on dates and times. We will continue to invest in free mobile sites and bring them to neighborhoods where COVID activity is high. Our mobile sites are free and open to anyone, regardless of whether you have COVID symptoms or not.
We’re going to continue to provide support for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID. There’s one program I want to highlight that is a great benefit for senior homeowners.
It’s called Seniors Save and it helps residents over the age of 60 replace your home heating system. With cold weather approaching, we want to make sure older Bostonians can stay warm, especially because we want them to be able to stay inside their home, safe from COVID.
We created the program in 2014, and we’ve served over 220 seniors with new heating systems. This year, we more than doubled the amount of funding you can get. We now provide grants of up to $8,000 to income-eligible residents, up from $3,500. The cost of replacing your heating system has gone up, so we made sure the program reflects that. New energy-efficient systems will lower the risk of heating emergencies during cold weather. They will also cut your energy bills. We work with you from start to finish, using only trusted contractors, and following all COVID-19 health guidelines inside your home.
I encourage you to look into this program before the really cold weather hits, and if you know a senior who could use this program, help them look into it. Applications are through the Boston Home Center by calling 617–635-HOME or visiting boston.gov/DND. And, don’t hesitate to contact the Age Strong Commission if you need help with any other kind of services and benefits.
Today, I have an announcement that is important to seniors, and everyone, regarding your electric bill. We are rolling out our Community Choice Electricity program. This is our policy to combine the buying power of Boston’s homes and businesses to get more stable and affordable electricity rates and bring more clean energy into our city. It’s an important part of our climate action strategy to become carbon-neutral and protect our environment. And we designed it, in partnership with the community and advocates, with the goal of saving residents money and giving them more choices.
Tomorrow, we will begin sending notices to residents who are enrolled in Eversource Basic Service. The notice lets you know that you’re being enrolled in the clean energy program starting February 1. You don’t have to do anything to get that benefit and be part of this program. It also tells you your options and lets you easily opt out, and stay on your existing plan. We’re also providing discounts for 20,000 low- income residents, through a solar energy program.
For anyone who wants to learn more about Community Choice Electricity and how it works, starting Monday, December 14, the Environment Department will host a series of 11 online webinars, translated into 10 languages.
I want to thank our partners on this program and our staff who have worked hard to build this policy. This will be the largest municipal aggregation program in New England, and one of the largest in the United States. We’re proud of how it advances our climate goals — by putting choice and savings in residents’ hands.
Holiday news: We all need some holiday cheer this year, no doubt. We have put up trees in every neighborhood, in your familiar locations. We couldn’t have the in-person events this year to light them. But they are lit up as usual, along with the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Copley Square tree, and the big one on Boston Common. I encourage you to take walks and view them.
The tree on the Common is an annual gift from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. That tradition began as a token of thanks for Boston’s assistance after the Halifax explosion of 1917, when close to 1,800 people lost their lives. This Sunday is the 103rd anniversary of that day. This year’s tree is dedicated to health care workers. They stepped up in 1917 to help Nova Scotia, and they have worked incredibly hard to save lives this year.
Usually, we have thousands of people on the Common for a concert and lighting. We can’t do that this year, but I spoke to Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, and we are committed to preserving the tradition. In fact, we taped a tree lighting show that will be broadcast tonight at 7:00 p.m. on Channel 5. It will have great performers, including the Boston Pops, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, an actor from the show Hamilton, and performers from Nova Scotia. The headliner is Grammy-winning artist Shaggy. I encourage you to tune in, and I encourage you to enjoy all our outdoor spaces safely.
The reality is, for many families, the holiday season is going to be a struggle. The needs in our communities are greater than they have been in a long time. More families are having a hard time meeting basic needs. We’re working to help them in as many ways as we can, but buying toys and gifts is going to be beyond the reach of many.
I would just ask everyone to take a moment to think about what those families are facing. Whether it’s a mom, or a grandparent, or whoever is raising that child. They want what everyone wants for children — a bit of magic and joy, especially during these hard times. They are wondering how they will make Christmas, or whatever holiday they celebrate, a reality for that child.
That’s why I’m grateful to be joined today by representatives from Toys for Tots. It’s the annual toy drive led by the U.S. Marine Corps. In the City of Boston, we work with Toys for Tots, because they have an incredible history and track record — in our community and across the country — of helping children have a special holiday.
If you’ve donated a new and unwrapped toy in the past, chances are it was to Toys for Tots. If you’ve been to a holiday party with gifts for needy families, chances are those gifts were provided by Toys for Tots. But that doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a lot of work by dedicated volunteers and U.S. Marines.
Usually, I would join them at their warehouse in South Boston for a big kickoff event. This year there are challenges, though. We can’t have the in-person toy drives we usually have. A lot of workplaces that would have donation boxes are closed or lightly populated. So, we all need to work harder than ever to make sure we help Toys for Tots meet their goals.
In the City, we’re going to have donation boxes here at City Hall, at our fire houses, at the stand-alone BCYF community centers, and at City of Boston Credit Union locations. We’re also going to be supporting their operations however we can.
I’m pleased to be joined by some of the people who make this incredible program work. We have Marine officers, including Staff Sergeant Howard Brown. Our Commissioner for Veterans Services Rob Santiago is here. Darrin Howell is here. He has worked with Toys for Tots on holiday events for families impacted by violence, and this year he is their Civilian Coordinator. We have a representative of Local Motion, a bus company that is helping to pick up toys at stores around the region.
I’m going to invite Staff Sergeant Brown to say more about the work of Toys for Tots and how you can help.
