MEDFORD, MA — Health officials in Medford and four surrounding communities are placing restrictions on businesses offering non-essential personal services in an effort to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. All hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, tattoo parlors and massage parlors will be closed in Medford, Winchester, Melrose, Wakefield and Malden until at least April 6.

The order also extends to gyms, health clubs, theaters, entertainment venues and social clubs. These will close starting Saturday, March 21. Medical, dental, and all related ancillary services are exempt from the order, provided that all non-essential personnel follow proper treatment protocols and social distancing measures where possible and use protective medical gear.

On Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that as of Monday, March 23, all childcare facilities in Massachusetts must close, except for those granted special exemptions by the state for families of first responders and health care providers. "As community leaders, we are faced with incredibly difficult decisions impacting our community, its residents, and its businesses, and each of our decisions are being weighed heavily before implementation," Lungo-Koehn said in a statement. "We must take bold action now if we want to protect our community in the long run. By limiting the number of places where groups of people can gather, and where the virus can easily spread on common surfaces, we're hoping to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, flatten the curve in terms of increases in cases, and help our health care facilities in their ability to serve those most in need of critical care."

Earlier this week, Baker announced a $10 million Small Business Recovery Loan Fund to provide emergency capital of up to $75,000 to impacted businesses and nonprofits with under 50 full- and part-time employees. Additional information and resources are available at: www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-resources-and-guidance-for-businesses

www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org/what-we-offer-/emergency-loan-funds/covid-19-loan-fund The city will maintain a list of all establishments offering take-out or delivery options on our website, www.medfordma.org. If you are a restaurant and would like to be added to this list please email Jackie Piques at jpiques@medford-ma.gov.

Trash and Recycling Update: Bulk Item, White Goods Collection Temporarily Suspended

Effective March 18, 2020, the City's trash and recycling contractor, Waste Management, announced that it will temporarily close its residential call center. While regular trash and recycling collection will continue as normal, bulk item and white good collection will be temporarily suspended until Waste Management is able to equip its call center with remote access for its employees. Please call Medford DPW at 781-393-2417 to report any missed trash or recycling pickups or cart repairs.