MEDFORD, MA — Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn has declared a local state of emergency in Medford, the city announced Monday. The declaration allows the city to take additional steps to prepare for, respond to and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including facilitating and expediting the use of resources.

The declaration also allows the city to incur expenses under Chapter 44, Section 31 of state law, which prohibits municipal departments to exceed their appropriated funding, except in cases of major disaster. Don't miss updates about coronavirus precautions and information in Medford as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.



Medford has two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the coronavirus. One case is linked to the Biogen conference in Boston last month, and the other is a Tufts University student, according to the city. Presumptive positive means the CDC still has to verify the test results. Neighboring Somerville, which declared its own local state of emergency Sunday, has three presumptive positive cases.