Walsh Backs School Closure Decision, Announces Fourth Resiliency Fund Round

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6264 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

BOSTON — Mayor Martin J. Walsh addressed Boston residents via community access TV in April 2020, supporting Governor Charlie Baker's decision to close school buildings for the remainder of the school year and extend most child care closures through June 29. Walsh announced a fourth round of grants through Boston's Resiliency Fund, bringing total distributions to $13.8 million out of more than $26 million raised from approximately 4,200 donors, with the new round targeting homeless individuals, high-infection neighborhoods, the Boston Muslim community during Ramadan, and personal protective equipment for frontline workers.

City official Marty Martinez said Boston was pursuing both diagnostic and antibody testing expansion through community health centers in partnership with the state. Walsh pushed back against a White House immigration suspension proposal, citing that immigrants make up 35 percent of Boston's health care workforce and 46 percent of its accommodations and food workers. On tourism, Walsh was blunt: "I don't see tourism coming back for four months, if not a year."

In the full story:

• School Closures and Remote Learning
• COVID-19 Testing Expansion
• Resiliency Fund — Fourth Round
• Immigration and Workforce
• Ramadan and Muslim Community
• Economic Reopening and Small Business
• The complete report — 1,333 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6264 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.