Bulletin Board

Chelsea Happenings

February 3, 2021 by
The City of Chelsea will have its own vaccination site starting Thurs. Feb. 4, 2021. The site will be operated by the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and located at 318 Broadway, next to the Post Office. Vaccinations will be by appointment only.  No walk-ins will be allowed. Initially, only Chelsea residents Ages 75 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine and can start scheduling appointments.
To get a vaccine, individuals should first confirm they are eligible. Currently, only the first group in Phase 2 – individuals 75 years of age or older – and Phase 1 prioritized individuals are eligible for the vaccine. Check the full list of who is eligible for the vaccine here.
If you are eligible, the next step is to make an appointment. You can start seeking an appointment as of Tues. Feb. 2 at 9:00 a.m. by calling 617-568-4870 or registering online at www.ebnhc.org.
Because the vaccine supply is limited and the demand is high, you may have to wait several weeks or longer for a scheduled appointment at this Broadway location. Please note there are other public vaccination sites in the Boston area offering vaccines. You may contact these sites to determine if you can obtain a more convenient appointment.
Patients of MGH, Cambridge Health Alliance or Beth Israel, your health care provider may contact you with information on their own vaccination efforts.
  • Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare
Patients can call 781-744-8000 to schedule an appointment. BIDH will host a vaccination site at 1100 Revere Beach Parkway next to Home Depot in Parkway Plaza Shopping Center starting on Thurs. Feb. 4.
  • CHA (Cambridge Health Alliance)
Patients will get contacted by CHA to schedule an appointment. Patients can schedule their appointment themselves on CHA’s MyCHART. If a person is age 75 or older and has a primary care doctor at CHA, but does not get contacted, they can call the CHA vaccine hotline at 617-665-1995 to make their first vaccine appointment.
The City will notify you as more groups become eligible for the vaccine beyond those age 75 and older. For additional information on COVID-19 and other resources available to all Chelsea Residents, contact the City by calling 617-466-4209 or visiting www.chelseama.gov/COVIDvaccination.
Chelsea Covid-19 Vaccination Site
318 Broadway
Registration:
By calling 617-568-4870
Online at www.ebnhc.org
More details on the City of Chelsea vaccination site are available at www.chelseama.gov/covidvaccination.
FREE Transportation Service
Mystic Valley Elder Services is offering free transportation services to eligible adults 75 years and older to COVID-19 vaccine sites near your home. You are responsible for making your vaccine appointment. Make sure to call (781) 324-7705 in plenty of time.

 

Chelsea continues to have a high rate of COVID-19 cases compared to other cities in Massachusetts. We have been dealing with this pandemic now for almost a full year. It has worn us down, and caused immense suffering in our community, with terrible economic pain, more than 7,500 people confirmed ill and 212 deaths.

Even with vaccines available, we must stay vigilant. To protect our community, we must continue the simple but important practices that mitigate the spread of the virus:
  • Wear face coverings.
  • Keep physical distance.
  • Stay away from crowds.
  • Wash your hands frequently.
  • Stay home when you are feeling sick,
  • And get tested.
New Indoor Free Covid-19 testing site
Stop of the Spread is a free COVID-19 testing program currently available in Chelsea through March 31, 2021. On December 27, the City opened an Indoor Test Site to serve our residents in the winter months better. The new location, operated by Fallon Ambulances, is at 35 Fourth Street (Emiliana Fiesta). City Hall and Chelsea Square are no longer testing

 

All Chelsea residents should get tested for #COVID-19, whether or not you have symptoms. It’s especially important to get tested if you:
  • Have symptoms of COVID-19
  • Had close contact with someone with COVID-19
  • Attended a large gathering
  • Traveled out of state
Testing Site Operation Hours
  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – 2 pm to 6 pm
  • Wednesday & Friday – 10 am to 6 pm
  • Saturday & Sunday – 11 am to 5 pm
Pre-Register Your COVID Test and Save Time!
  • Pre-registration helps lower wait times for everybody. Registration is NOT Required, and your pre-registration does not mean that your wait time will be less.
  • IF YOU PREVIOUSLY GOT TESTED AT THIS SITE IN THE PAST, YOU DO NOT NEED TO PRE-REGISTER AGAIN.
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‘I got tested’
The City made colorful stickers to remind residents of the importance of getting tested frequently. One in three positive cases in Chelsea did not show any symptoms. Testing is the only method in identifying an asymptomatic patient. Get tested today and receive your sticker!

 

Other Free COVID Testing Locations near Chelsea*
Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, 1000 Broadway
Mon–Fri, 9am – 5pm.; Sat 9am – 2pm
If you are not a BIDMC patient, please call Registration at 617-765-8240 to obtain a Medical Record Number. Please bring your medical record number with you when you come to be tested.
CVS, Chelsea – Revere Beach Parkway. 1010 Revere Beach Parkway
All tests must be scheduled. Make an appointment at MinuteClinic.com
Learn about the free drive-through Express COVID-19 Testing Sites in Revere & Lynn at www.mass.gov/info-details/regional-express-covid-19-testing-sites-in-massachusetts
For a full list of COVID Test Sites please visit www.mass.gov/doc/ma-covid-19-testing-sites/download
Covid-19 Response
COVID-19 Testing in MWRA Wastewater System
The City of Chelsea is performing an independent wastewater sampling in the City. That testing occurs at the intersection of Marginal Street and Pearl Street and on Crescent Avenue near Eastern Avenue. The two locations represent roughly 25% of the City’s total daily wastewater flow. In early 2021, the City expects to add two more sampling locations, increasing the coverage to approximately 40% of the City’s total daily wastewater flow.
The City of Chelsea’s wastewater testing effort is being privately funded through researchers’ efforts at MIT. The City provides some in-kind services from our DPW Water, Sewer & Drainage Department (“WSD”).
This effort helps provide the City with an early warning of a potential spike in cases.
Chelsea Eats Program Update
Last Friday, January 29, the City loaded the third month of funds for the Chelsea Eats Debit Cards. We have received sufficient donations to the program to allow for another distribution at the end of February. The City and its partners continue to fundraise in the hopes that we may extend the program beyond February.
If you have any questions, please call 617-466-4209 or email lalvarez@chelseama.gov.
Emergency Rental Assistance Program – Round 2
Because the City received more applications than it can fund, the City held a weighted lottery to select recipients on January 7, 2021. Two hundred eighty-three residents were selected in the lottery.
All lottery winners were contacted by the City the week after the lottery. They received a letter and a follow-up phone call from the Department of Housing & Community Development staff. Tenants will not need to fill out any paperwork or complete any further tasks. Each week, tenants selected will receive a text message letting you know the status of your application.
The City will be distributing the first round of paperwork to the landlords of those selected in the lottery beginning this week. Once our staff receives this paperwork back, the City can begin processing payment.
Homeowners Stabilization Program
Phase 1
The Department of Housing and Community Development, in conjunction with its contractor, Chelsea Restoration Corporation, is overseeing Phase 1 of the Homeowners Stabilization Program. Funded by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, Phase 1 of this program offers direct financial assistance to income-eligible homeowners that can be used for mortgage, insurance, utility, and property taxes. The application period for Phase I is now closed. To be eligible, homeowners had to earn no more than 8o% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
A lottery for Phase 1 will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, on Facebook Live. Applicants should receive their lottery number in the mail before the lottery. If you have not received your lottery number, you may call 311 or 617-466-4209.
Phase 2 
The City will soon be accepting applications for Phase 2 of the program. Phase 2 was funded with $750.00 from the Chelsea City Council. Phase 2 eligibility is broader than Phase 1. You may apply if you make up to 100% of AMI. Information about Phase 2 will be coming soon.
Housing
25 Eleanor – (3) Affordable Units
The application period for three (3) new affordable apartments at 25 Eleanor is now open. These affordable housing units, consisting of two (2) studios and one (1) two-bedroom, are designated for households earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income. Income eligible residents are encouraged to apply, as these units contain a preference for Chelsea residents. Following the closure of the application period, three (3) applicants will be selected through a lottery held by the property owner.
Applications are available at City Hall, during normal business hours, and on the City’s website. The deadline for applications is February 20th, 2021.
For more information, please visit the Information Page for Eleanor Lofts or call 311.
Citywide Housing Rehabilitation Program
Funded through the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Housing Rehabilitation Program serves residents with household incomes up to 80% of the Area Median Income. Because these funds cannot be used for all cases, or on middle income households, Chelsea City Council provided funding to create a complementary program, called the Workforce Housing Rehabilitation Program.
The purpose of this program is to serve households that are not eligible for the Department’s existing program, with a focus on households with incomes between 80% and 100% of the Area Median Income. This new program will be launched in March. Keep an eye out for social media postings and a public meeting in March.
Public Infrastructure Projects
The Capital Improvement Plan
The City’s FY22 Capital Improvement Plan was submitted to the City Council on January 29. The total amount requested for FY22 is over $14 million. There are more than 40 separate projects proposed.
A copy of the proposed Plan is available here.
The CIP Plan reflects the City’s philosophy to invest in capital improvements that enhance the quality of life of residents. The City Council will be holding a public hearing on the Plan and then voting on its components this Spring.
Find projects that are happening in Chelsea
on our website:
Garden Cemetery
Phase 2 of the Garden Cemetery Restoration Project is underway. The contractor is completing the refurbishment of 50 gravestones, monuments, and markers.
In the Spring, the contractor will reconstruct a failing section of retaining wall on Central Ave., install new fencing, and complete landscape improvements.
The painstaking process of restoring the monuments. Most are broken, and many of the pieces are scattered about.
Base of the monument that memorializes Capt. Olsen, who was lost at sea in 1862.
The photos show the beginning stages of monument and gravestone restoration in the cemetery.
The contractor uses a previously completed inventory of the monuments and grave markers to locate, sort, and assess each one, before beginning the careful restoration of each feature.
The project remains on-budget and on-schedule, with work scheduled to be complete by Sept. of 2021.
Although the cemetery is closed to the public, we encourage you to take a walk by to view the work. Additionally, if you’re interested in taking a tour of the project, please cont