This past weekend, the city joined the state in lifting remaining COVID-19 restrictions. State guidelines will still require face coverings to be worn on public transit, in rideshares and taxis, in healthcare facilities, and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings. For more information on the state’s reopening plan and guidelines, visit mass.gov/reopening.

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SomerStreets: Carnaval returns to shake up East Somerville. The SomerStreets 2021 season will start in a modified format, featuring a series of smaller events on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6 (rain dates June 12 and 13). Performances will be limited to 150 attendees, and most will require a ticket to attend. Tickets are free, but attendees will need to preregister through the Somerville Arts Council at somervilleartscouncil.org/somerstreets. SomerStreets: Carnaval is organized by the City of Somerville, the Somerville Arts Council, and East Somerville Main Streets. For information on how to participate in any of the SomerStreets events, go to somervilleartscouncil.org/somerstreets or contact Iaritza Menjivar, Special Events Manager, at (617) 625-6600 ext. 2998 or imenjivar@somervillema.gov.

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Mobile vaccine clinics start this week: The first clinic will be held from 3:30-6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 3 at the Somerville Housing Authority site at 530 Mystic Ave. This is a walk-in clinic, but if you would like to pre-register a link will be posted later in the week at somervillema.gov/vaccine. The vaccines are free, no ID or health insurance is required, and vaccines are available to everyone age 12+ regardless of immigration status. Many more mobile clinic sites will follow.

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Celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to a great guy, City Councilor At-Large Bill White is celebrating this week. We wish him a very happy birthday. Michael Albano, is celebrating his birthday. We wish him a happy birthday. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Richard DiPinto, Dell E. Fisher, Paul Harvey, Roz Cummins, Chris Argeropoulos, Elizabeth Rodrigues Fula, Nicole Alves Bairos, Lori DePippo and Charlie McCarthy a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. To all the others we may have missed, we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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We’re sad to hear that another popular local restaurant/bar, R.F. O’Sullivan’s has closed its doors at its Beacon St. location. According to a statement issued on their Facebook page, the pub will move to Lynn and the current location will operate under a different name, while retaining the original staff. You can read their announcement at www.facebook.com/R-F-O-Sullivan-Son-100320223359313/.

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Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 1 Councilor Matthew McLaughlin, Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, Ward 4 Councilor Jesse Clingan, and city staff invite you to the next virtual community meeting to discuss implementation of the Gilman Square Neighborhood Plan. City consultants will present updated conceptual designs for redevelopment at the Mobil gas station site, the former Homans Building site, and nearby green space called the Gilman Triangle on Medford Street behind Somerville High School. The meeting will be held online on Wednesday, June 2, at 6:00 p.m. Learn more and register to attend at somervillema.gov/GilmanSquare. Interpretation into Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, or Nepali may be available upon advance request by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somerviva@somervillema.gov or calling 311.

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As of May 25, a total of 5,744 Somerville residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020 (39 the past two weeks), and sadly there have been 86 deaths (though none in the past two weeks). See the latest Somerville case data at somervillema.gov/covid19dashboard. Somerville joined state reopening and masking guidelines on May 29: On Saturday face covering requirements were largely lifted throughout Massachusetts. State guidelines will still require face coverings to be worn on public transit, in rideshares and taxis, in healthcare facilities, schools and childcare programs, and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings. Individual businesses may also still require masks to enter their premises, so bring a mask with you when you go out. Anyone who is unvaccinated is also advised to continue to mask up. Somerville also joined with the State in lifting remaining COVID-19 business and activity restrictions on May 29. Find out more about the State’s reopening plans here.

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The City of Somerville Office of Housing Stability is hosting a virtual workshop to assist Section 8 tenants looking for housing. This event is designed for Somerville Housing Authority Section 8 voucher holders or Section 8 applicants in the screening process, but all are welcome. Attendees will learn practical tips, advice, and strategies to make their Section 8 housing search more effective. The workshop will take place on Zoom on Thursday, June 3, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. To learn more and register to attend, visit somervillema.gov/ohs.

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You now can get a COVID-19 vaccination without having to pre-register or make an appointment. There are walk-in vaccination sites all around Somerville, and just outside it as well. Cambridge Health Alliance vaccine clinics have larger supplies of doses and can vaccinate kids ages 12-17. You do not need to be a CHA patient to use these clinics. They are free and open to all. Local CVS pharmacies and the Stop & Shop on McGrath Hwy. are also offering walk-in vaccines. Local Walgreens pharmacies require a brief pre-registration, but can process people quickly if they have open slots and you walk in. Here are the CHA walk-in sites: CHA Somerville Vaccine Center at 176 Somerville Avenue in Somerville, Mon.- Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tufts University Gantcher Center at 161 College Ave. in Medford, Wed-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Encore Boston Harbor at 1 Broadway Center in Everett, Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Individuals younger than 18 will need parental or guardian consent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A parent or guardian can either accompany a minor age 16 or 17 to their vaccine appointment, or fill out a consent form that the minor can then bring with them to the appointment. Consent forms in multiple languages are available at the state’s website. Parents must accompany children ages 12-15 to their vaccine appointments.

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Help support your neighbors through the Somerville Cares Fund. If you’re lucky enough to have some extra money, please consider a donation to the Somerville Cares Fund. This donation-based fund provides direct assistance to Somerville residents, workers, and parents of school children so that they can cover basic expenses like housing, food, and utility bills. If you’re unable to donate you can still help by sharing information about the Somerville Cares Fund with your friends and family.

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CHA Somerville Hospital offers free testing at Assembly Row. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). More testing information can be found at somervillema.gov/covidtesting. The state’s Stop the Spread testing sites are also an option, including in the nearby communities of Chelsea and Everett. For more information, visit the State’s website.

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 4 City Councilor Jesse Clingan, and city staff invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss upcoming schoolyard renovations at the Arthur D. Healey School. This project will construct a new schoolyard and U-12 recreation field, as well as a new staircase and ADA-compliant ramp between school grounds and Mystic Housing. Construction is expected to begin June 21, after the current school year ends, and continue through Spring 2022. The meeting will take place Wednesday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m. Discussion will cover the overall construction process, anticipated project schedule, traffic and parking impacts, school access during construction, and safety considerations. To learn more and register to attend, visit somervillema.gov/healeyschoolyard.

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Join a community meeting on Thursday, June 10, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., (rescheduled from May 25) to learn about supervised consumption sites (SCS) data and research. At the meeting you can learn more about how SCS work, see data from a recently conducted needs assessment and evaluation that includes input from potential clients of the SCS and other community members, and ask questions and share feedback. A draft version of the needs assessment and evaluation will be available at www.somervillema.gov/SCS by Tuesday, June 8.

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Healthy, local food is important. The Farmers Markets are open again in Davis Square. Fresh, locally-grown fruit, vegetables, meats, baked goods. Rain or shine, holiday or not. Every Wednesday, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m., May 20 – November 25, at Day St. and Herbert St. (www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis) and at Union Square, Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., May 15 – November 20. New Location: 366 Somerville Ave., Somerville. Rain or shine. Shop local in open air at their COVID-19 prepared market. For more details, check out their website: unionsquaremain.org.

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The newly renovated Somerville Public Library West Branch at 40 College Ave. is now open for curbside service. Pickup will be at the building’s new front entrance weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Patrons will be able to select “Somerville/West” when placing holds online. Renovation and restoration work began on the historic building in early 2019 and is now largely complete. The West Branch will open for indoor services at a later date in the not-too-distant future, at which point a proper celebration will be held to mark the occasion. More details will be shared as they’re finalized. In the meantime, visit somervillepubliclibrary.org and follow the Somerville Public Library on social media for regular updates and glimpses inside the new space.

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The next GLX General Public Meeting is planned for June 30, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting format will be virtual, and a link will be posted soon on the GLX website. The meeting will include updates on: Construction Status, Recent Project Milestones, Testing and Commissioning of GLX service. For project information, please visit www.Mass.gov/GLX.

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Reminder: city buildings are still closed to the public. Although city buildings remain closed to the public, a number of city services are still available online or by calling 311. Check the “City Service Status” tab on the city’s COVID-19 page for more information.

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Don’t forget, if you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website over to the right side and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the paper.

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Hate incidents impact victims as well as the community. In an effort to make reporting hate incidents easier for the residents of Somerville, you may now report them using an online form. Visit the Somerville Police website under the “Home” tab and submit your Hate Incident report: www.somervillepd.com/home/.