Dear Community Member,

Today marks one year since the COVID-19 state of emergency was declared in Massachusetts. The past year has been undeniably difficult. We’ve lost 75 people in Somerville to COVID-19 and still more are suffering long-term effects of the disease. Many have also experienced financial and social losses in the past 12 months.

We have also seen the community pull together to help each other through this. I want to thank everyone who has done their part to help slow the spread of this disease and who has pitched in to help others. I want to thank everyone who wore their masks, who social distanced, who washed their hands, who sacrificed business, helped their kids learn remotely, postponed weddings, skipped birthdays and holidays and graduations and showers and even forewent gathering for funerals, and I want to thank everyone who kept turning up to work the frontline jobs, and who volunteered, donated, or just lent someone struggling a helping hand or a sympathetic ear.

While we look back on the past year, I also want to make sure we are looking toward the future. Vaccines are here and as the rollout continues we will slowly be able to get back to normal. But to get there we must commit.

In the coming months, I urge you to commit to continue to take COVID-19 safety as seriously as you did in the first months of the pandemic. We’re so close to being out of this, but now is not the time to let our guards down.

If we keep doing our part to slow the virus and continue to take care of each other, we will come out the other side of this as a stronger community. We can do this, Somerville.

Thank you,
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone