In his press conference today, Gov. Baker reiterated the importance of people staying home and not engaging in “non-essential activities.” Both MA Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders and MA Commissioner of Public Health Monica Bharel emphasized that these social distancing measures are vital to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The goal of slowing the spread of the virus is to space out demand on the state’s health care system for those diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

We know the toll these measures are taking on the arts, culture, and creativity community. In case you missed it, Commonwealth Magazine has reported a piece documenting the impact on nonprofits, artists, and large institutions alike. You can read it here.

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and Philanthropy Massachusetts continue to collect data via a Flash Poll on the impact the public health emergency is having on nonprofit organizations, including the creative community. This information will be important to share with lawmakers and other policy makers as they craft an emergency response to the potentially devastating financial impact of COVID-19. If you haven’t filled it out yet, we encourage you to do so.

Mass Cultural Council is also collecting data from the field in two surveys. One is for artists and arts and culture educators and the other is for cultural organizations. The information will be used in conversations with state lawmakers on future state mitigation efforts.