The COVID-19 pandemic produced extraordinary collaborations between Tufts and its local communities. The university offered support, resources, expertise, and knowledge from the earliest days, taking every opportunity to keep its neighbors safe and healthy. Tufts was the first university in Massachusetts to offer campus facilities for relief efforts, housing first responders, health-care workers, and COVID+ patients; providing cold storage and food donations to hunger-relief organizations; and awarding emergency grants to local nonprofits. Recognizing the importance of testing in densely populated communities, Tufts also administered 1,400 free COVID-19 tests to our neighbors and worked with Medford and Somerville to launch one of the first public school pooled testing programs in the state, serving 8,831 students. This partnership, the only one like it in Massachusetts, enabled local schools to reopen safely.
Our partnership brought peace of mind to students, staff, and families while there were still so many unknowns. I firmly believe that the success of last year’s collaboration has allowed us to start this school year off on a strong note with everyone’s health and safety as our continued highest priority.
Free medical care. Thousands of Tufts community volunteers. Pooled testing for 8,000+ local students. Learn more about the University's impact on it's host communities.
