Somerville extends state of emergency, cancels events through December

Musicians performed in HONK!, an annual festival of activist street bands that spreads across Somerville and Cambridge.Tim Plenk

Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced Friday that the city’s state of emergency will continue beyond Monday and the suspension of all city-sponsored or permitted events will extend through the end of the year, as Somerville continues to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Smaller events may be reconsidered if conditions improve, and city officials have not yet issued guidance for school-sponsored activities and programming from the city Parks and Recreation Department, according to a statement from Curtatone’s office.

After Governor Charlie Baker and the state Reopening Advisory Board unveil the state’s plan for restarting the economy on Monday, Somerville officials will use it as a starting point for a plan that meets the city’s specific needs.

“We need to move forward with a process that fits our community,” Curtatone said in the statement. “Safety and a sustainable recovery will be the guiding stars of our local reopening efforts. We will evaluate every element of the Governor’s plan and determine what works best here and then implement a timeline that aligns with local and regional data concerning the spread of this disease.”

Curtatone announced in early April that officials had canceled the Fourth of July fireworks display and all other city-sponsored events through the end of June.

Last weekend, the Somerville Arts Council replaced the city’s annual PorchFest musical celebration with performances streamed online for the first CouchFest.

Somerville plays host to numerous other cultural and community events each year, including the HONK! festival, which spreads across Somerville and Cambridge, and the annual “What the Fluff?” festival celebrating the gooey marshmallow treat invented in the city.

This year’s Fluff festival had been scheduled for Sept. 12. HONK! had been set for Oct. 9-11.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at [e-mail].