COVID-19

City of Boston COVID-19 Case Tracker

Racial Data On Boston Resident COVID-19 Cases

Massachusetts COVID-19 Response Data

COVID-19 County Tracker (all of U.S.)

To find the Closest COVID-19 Testing Site

Find out the COVID-19 Risk in Your Neighborhood

FOR UPDATES ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19), YOU CAN:

  • Visit the City of Boston’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) website
  • Call the Mayor’s Health Line at 617-534-5050 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
  • Text BOSCOVID to 888-777
  • Text BOSEspanol to 888-777 for Spanish
  • Text BOSKreyol to 888-777 for Haitian Kreyol
  • Text BOSFrancais to 888-777 for French
  • Text BOSKriolu to 888-777 for Cabo Verdean Creole
  • Text BOSPortugues to 888-777 for Portuguese
  • Text BOSSoomali to 888-777 for Somali
  • Text BOSChi to 888-777 for Simplified Chinese
  • Text BOSbilAraby to 888-777 for Arabic
  • Text BOSViet to 888-777 for Vietnamese
  • Text BOSRus to 888-777 for Russian
  • Call Boston 3-1-1 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, multiple languages available)

Find new official information about COVID-19 from these websites

• CDC 

• WHO

•Mass DPH

Tips to Managing Anxiety & Stress during the COVID-19 Crisis


The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could very likely be very stressful for everyone. Fear and anxiety about this disease may be overwhelming and elicit strong emotions in both adults and children. Finding adequate ways of coping with the stress can assist in making you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.


Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include:
 Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
 Changes in sleep or eating patterns and difficulty sleeping or concentrating
 Worsening of chronic health problems
 Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs


Some tips to maintaining good mental health are as follows:
 Take time to reflect on your own feelings.
 Stick to your old routines (as much as possible).
 Focus only on things you can control.
 Refrain from using alcohol and drugs to cope with stress and anxiety.
That means:
 Wash your hands often (use sanitizer if you don’t have access to soap and water).
 Cover your mouth when you cough and your nose (with a tissue) when you sneeze.
 Avoid touching your face whenever possible.
 Maintain social distancing (keeping at least 6 feet in between you and others).
 Avoid any non-essential travel and only leave your home for essential needs.
 Leave face masks for medical professionals, caretakers and individuals at higher risk of
infection.
 Keep your immune system strong by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and getting an
adequate amount of sleep.
 Embrace the uncertainties and focus on the positive things.
 Stay connected.
 Utilize meditation and deep breathing exercises and exercising at home.
 Limit watching the news on a constant basis.
 Seek professional help.

Safeguard your mental health. Many therapists will offer services by phone or video chat, especially under the current circumstances. Or try an online app, such as Talkspace, which offers therapy via text, audio, and video messaging. Happify is another self-help app for emotional well-being. Headspace is meditation made simple. They will teach you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day. Calm is another mediation app to try!

If you or someone you know is in immediate distress, contact:
 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273- TALK (8255) or Text START to
741-741
 National Sexual Violence Hotline (RAINN) 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
 National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 or Text 233733
 National Self Injury and Suicide Hotline for LGBTQ+(Trevor Project) 1-
866-488-7386
 National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
 SAMHSA National Helpline for Substance Abuse 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
 SAMHSA Disaster Distress Hotline 1-800-985-5990 or text
TalkWithUs to 66746
 National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Helpline 1-800-950-NAMI
(6254)
 National Eating Disorder Association Helpline 1-800-931-2237

In the event of imminent crisis, call 911 or go to a
nearest emergency room

HOME ISOLATION/HOME QUARANTINE INSTRUCTIONS Instructions for people exposed to or sick with COVID-19: Stay home except to get essential medical care.

  • When leaving home for essential medical care, avoid public transportation, including buses, trains, ride-sharing services, and taxis.
  • Wear a face covering or mask when leaving home for essential medical care.

Stay separate from other people and animals in the household, and please limit nonessential visitors.

  • Stay in a separate room as much as possible, away from other people. Use a separate bathroom if possible. If there is no separate bathroom, be sure to clean and disinfect the bathroom between users.
  • Do not spend time with pets or other animals in your home.
  • Please allow only essential visitors (for example, home health or visiting nurse services) to visit your home during isolation/quarantine.

Call ahead before medical visits.

  • Call ahead when seeking medical care to let the office know about the exposure or illness.
  • Wear a face covering or mask while in the office to protect other patients and staff.

Wear a face covering or mask around other people and pets, even at home. 

  • Wear a face covering or mask around other people and pets, including at home and in vehicles.
  • If wearing a mask is not possible because of trouble breathing, others should wear a face covering or mask when in the same room.

Instructions for household members of someone exposed to or sick with COVID-19: Cover coughs and sneezes.

  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or the inside of your sleeve if tissues are not available. Tissues should go in a trash can lined with a disposable bag.
  • Immediately wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.

Avoid sharing personal household items.

  • Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.
  • Wash all items thoroughly with soap and water.

Clean your hands often.

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Rub the fronts and backs of your hands and the spaces between all your fingers the whole time. Then rinse with water.
  • If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day.

  • “High touch” surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
  • Clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe. Follow label instructions for safe and effective use, including precautions like wearing gloves and ensuring good ventilation during use.

Monitor your symptoms.

  • Call your doctor if you or anyone else at home develops symptoms or, if already sick, starts to feel worse. If anyone has severe symptoms, like difficulty breathing, seek prompt medical attention.
  • Before seeking care, call ahead and let the medical office know about the possibility of COVID-19. Be sure to wear a face covering or mask.
  • Follow instructions provided by your medical team, occupational health, or public health departments professionals, as appropriate.
  • If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the operator that someone at home has COVID-19. If possible, put on a face covering or mask before emergency medical services arrive.

Where can I get more information?

  • Massachusetts residents: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Hotline can be reached at (617) 983-6800 or at 211, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. TTY/TDD (617) 624-6001.

COVID-19 Medical & Cultural Podcasts
In the Pipeline: Hydroxychloroquine Update
This blog was created by regular contributors to the Science Translational Medicine journal; this post is an informative discussion on a drug being used experimentally on critically ill COVID-19 patients.

NPR Article & Podcast: When Xenophobia Spreads Like a Virus
Code Switch, a podcast airing on National Public Radio, advances the national conversation on all things race and society; ‘When Xenophobia Spreads Like a Virus’ is a COVID-19-related article and podcast.

Oxford University Press’s Academic Insights for the Thinking World
Oxford University Press Blog post ‘The Story of COVID-19: By the Numbers’

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