Mayor Martin Walsh addresses reporters during a daily press briefing as City Council President Kim Janey looks on.

Mayor doesn’t expect emergency to be over by May

As of Monday, there were 825 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Boston and 5,752 statewide, but Gov. Charlie Baker says the worst may be yet to come, predicting that the largest surge of admitted patients won’t come until midmonth — sometime between April 7 and 17.

Mayor Martin Walsh, too, cited a longer timeline for the spread of the virus, telling reporters the crisis will extend beyond the May 4 date previously set for Boston Public Schools to re-open.

“I’m going to be completely honest with people,” he said. “If we think, May 4, the coronavirus is going to be gone, it’s not. I think we’re in this for the long haul.” He later added, “This is not going to be over quickly.”

During his briefing on Monday, Walsh revealed steps to help residents who are currently struggling with housing. The administration will halt eviction proceedings until the end of the crisis, he said, and the administration will provide 1,000 rental vouchers to certain families with students in Boston Public Schools.

“We know that anxiety about housing goes beyond monthly payments,” he said. “Many families have been struggling to find or hold onto housing before this crisis even began. Homelessness creates barriers for our students to grow, learn and succeed. Schools being closed presents even more challenges for our families experiencing housing insecurity.”

The vouchers will be split evenly: 500 to families in shelters and 500 to families at risk of displacement. The first housing placements are expected to begin in May. This allows families to seek housing in the private market with significant rent subsidies, said Walsh.

More than 4,500 students in BPS are essentially homeless, living without a permanent residence.

Walsh noted that students and families in Boston Public Schools are still receiving free meals and other essential items at 70 sites around the city. People in Boston experiencing homelessness can also go to a number of daytime drop-in sites to pick up food. Shelters have also received hundreds of new beds, offering a haven for safety and recovery.

With the $2 trillion federal relief package on its way, city and state officials are waiting on guidelines for how best to distribute resources. Walsh said the package will include aid for struggling renters.

“We’ve anticipated that the federal stimulus package will provide Boston with new resources to help renters,” he said, “as well as moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures at properties with federally backed mortgages.”

Walsh said that the administration is working on a plan to allow homeowners to suspend or defer payments without penalties. He encouraged residents to reach out to their banks to discuss issues with mortgage payments. Massachusetts’ current statewide ban on non-essential evictions lasts until April 21.

The administration also aims to relieve pressure on taxpayers through other means, said Walsh. “We intend on delaying property tax payments until June,” he said. “We will suspend interest charges on late motor vehicle excise bills until June 30. Late penalties on meals tax collection will also be waived by the state.”

Walsh stressed the importance of social distancing for the foreseeable future. The stay-at-home advisory was issued last week, yet some residents are still not abiding by the guidelines.

“Please, if you’re not going to think about yourself, think about someone else in your family,” Walsh said. “Think about your neighbors, think about the elderly. Think about the people that we can protect here to make sure that we can get through to the other side of this.”

The administration is taking measures to discourage people from playing group sports in city parks. Playgrounds and golf courses have been shut down, and now sports gatherings are prohibited in order to slow COVID-19’s spread.

“To start, we will temporarily put zip ties on our basketball hoops, and new signage will also go up in parks,” said Walsh. Hockey nets and tennis nets will also be taken away, he added. “We’re doing this to protect our residents and encourage social distancing in our parks.”

Walsh acknowledged the looming sense of anxiety as many prepare for the surge.

“These are extremely difficult times,” he said. “These adjustments are all hard and the decisions that we’re making aren’t easy. We want to make sure that life goes back to normal as soon as possible, so we’re missing out on some of our favorite springtime traditions.” Boston has already canceled or postponed traditional events from the St. Patricks’ Day parade to the Boston Marathon.

“But we should also remember, Boston has always been a city of champions and comebacks,” Walsh noted. “We’ve overcome tough situations before and shown what it means to be Boston Strong.”

At a press conference Monday, Baker noted that medical facilities are ramping up to prepare for these “unprecedented times.” He said that the federal government has already approved a request for 1,000 ventilators, which the state should be receiving soon. Massachusetts currently has only about 1,400 ventilators, and many more will be needed in the coming weeks.

Medical institutions are also preparing for the surge in other ways: by increasing staff, expanding testing capacity and clearing space for oncoming patients.

Nursing facilities relieve hospital congestion by providing residents with a place to recover, freeing up resources for those in critical condition.

“The goal is to have about 1,000 beds available for older residents as we prepare for the COVID-19 surge,” said Baker.

Deliveries of PPE, or personal protective equipment, are en route to Massachusetts. In the meantime, Baker commended the resourcefulness of workers throughout the state. Boston-based New Balance, for instance, has started to manufacture face masks.

“By harnessing the capabilities of Massachusetts’ skilled manufacturers, we’ll be able to get gear into the hands of our frontline workers faster,” said Baker. He also expressed gratitude for those who have volunteered to help medical professionals or donate PPE.

As of Monday, there were 56 deaths related to COVID-19 in Massachusetts, two of them in Boston. It’s not just affecting the elderly: Marty Martinez, chief of health and human services, noted that close to 50% of Boston’s cases are among people under the age of 39.

“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones,” said Walsh. “Each loss certainly is a strong reminder of how dangerous the situation is that we’re all living in right now. And that’s why we’re going to continue to work around the clock to slow the spread, keep people healthy and prevent the loss of life.”

ON THE WEB

State updates and resources: Mass.gov/covid19

Boston updates and resources: Boston.gov/covid19

Information and online COVID-19 screening: Buoyhealth.com

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito address news media during a press conference Monday.