Medford, Somerville Mayors Call On Tufts To Reconsider Opening

MEDFORD, MA — Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone sent a letter to Tufts University President Tony Monaco Monday reiterating their "serious concern" about the school's fall reopening plan.

Lungo-Koehn and Curtatone cited the recent uptick in daily confirmed cases and transmission rates in Massachusetts and the northeast.

"As we write this letter, 320 new cases and 12 new deaths have been reported in the Commonwealth," the mayors wrote. "Additionally, given the lack of reliable testing available regionally, statewide, and nationally at a scale that would allow for an accurate assessment of prevalence and incidence, it is very likely that the true number of infections that remain undetected is far greater. "

The letter calls on Tufts to "reconsider the reopening plan that was developed under a previously reported set of health data and circumstances." It also requests that the university:

1. Thoroughly reassess the Fall 2020 reopening plan through a peer-review process;
2. Reduce student population size both on- and off-campus;
3. Stagger the return of students. In particular, delay the return of in-region students both on and off campus while refining protocols and procedures, and enforcement measures, for students returning to the area in the first phase of your reopening plan;
4. Consider providing increased onsite faculty and staff testing comparable to student testing requirements;
5. Clarify off-campus enforcement protocols including any related follow-up, disciplinary action, health screening, and testing;
6. Reexamine and clarify student and faculty mobility protocols on and off-campus; and
7. Provide detailed testing process/protocols, contact tracing plans, daily data matrix and enforcement/violation data to both Somerville and Medford.

Last week, the university held community meetings for residents of both Medford and Somerville, outlining an ambitious testing plan that calls for students to be tested twice a week. But Lungo-Koehn and Curtatone said they are concerned the plan in its current form "does not fully account for the immediate, increased risk posed to Somerville and Medford residents by the return of thousands of Tufts students to our communities."

Leaders emphasized that they are grateful for the university's collaboration with both communities during the pandemic:

"We deeply appreciate your significant efforts to keep students, employees, and the larger community safe. We also very much appreciate Tufts’ exceptional partnership with our communities since the start of this pandemic. Early in the pandemic, the University provided Medford and Somerville use of its dormitories to house quarantined police and fire personnel, which provided safety and peace of mind as we continued to provide essential services. We also thank you for the transparency and collaboration you have committed to in developing your school’s reopening plan and for hosting a community meeting to address the concerns of Somerville and Medford residents."

Click here for more information about Tufts's reopening plan.