As the COVID-19 Response Command Center and other agencies and organizations provide updates on COVID-19, I wanted to share with you the new information being reported:
Statewide Updates
- In Massachusetts, there is a total of 32,181 cases of COVID-19 and a total of 140,773 tests have been performed. You can access a summary of case details and lab testing, cases by municipality, and cases by hospital facility and additional COVID-19 response reporting here.
- Today, the House approved legislation providing additional support to those affected by COVID-19 through the unemployment insurance system. The legislation would ensure no employer receives a negative score to their experience rate due to an employee filing for unemployment benefits as a result of COVID-19 and the state of emergency, among other provisions. Read the full text of the bill here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H4648.
- The nation’s first contact tracing initiative is now underway in Massachusetts. If you are contacted by someone working for the initiative through the organization Partners in Health, you are urged to take the call and provide relevant information. The program will help determine who infected patients have had close contact with and help craft isolation strategies to prevent the spread of the virus. Learn more here: https://www.pih.org/ma-response.
- Today, the Department of Early Education and Care, in conjunction with the Department of Children and Families, announced an emergency approval process for congregate care sites to provide services for youth who have tested positive for COVID-19, in an effort to support vulnerable youth in the care of the Commonwealth.
- Today, Attorney General Maura Healy launched a Small Business Relief Partnership Grant Program to direct funding to municipalities and regional planning agencies that assist small businesses in their communities. Grant funds can be used to administer or supplement grant programs targeting local businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. To learn more, click here.
Local Updates
- Today, I met with the Needham Business Alliance through the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce to discuss small business concerns and issues. For a list of small business resources compiled by my office, click here: https://repgarlick.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Garlick-COVID-19-Small-Business-One-Pager.pdf
- In Needham, the Recycling and Transfer Station has canceled the Paint Collect Day for Saturday, April 18. The RTS will evaluate the start of the program to determine whether it can be re-started in May.
- In Dover, your Dover Library card can give you access to over 500 online courses covering a wide range of topics. You can sign in with your library card number here.
- In Medfield, for those who find themselves negatively impacted by COVID-19, the Medfield Foundation has created a form to ask for help. All information is kept strictly confidential. The form can be found here.
Resources
- If you or someone you know is at risk for sexual and domestic violence, service providers are still accessible. You can find local services by clicking here. You can also call SafeLink, the statewide domestic violence hotline, at 1-877-785-2020. SafeLink can provide resources and support services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
- To file an unemployment claim, visit here. If you have trouble filing a claim, please contact my office for assistance.
- Anyone feeling overwhelmed with sadness, anxiety or stress, or who wants to harm themselves or others, can access the mental health, emotional support, and suicide prevention program Call2Talk by dialing 2-1-1. Call2Talk is also available by calling 508-532-2255 or by texting C2T to 741741.
- Text COVIDMA to 888-777 to receive daily text updates from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Please remember social distancing is the most effective tool to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In addition to these updates, my office is still accessible so please continue to reach out and we will get back to you.
Email: Denise.Garlick@mahouse.gov
Phone: 617-722-2380
Our local boards of health, the Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control are continuing to maintain websites with the most updated information regarding COVID-19 that you can access here:
Needham Health Department Updates: http://www.needhamma.gov/85/Public-Health
Medfield Updates: http://www.town.medfield.net/1860/Coronavirus-Info-COVID-19
Dover Updates: http://doverma.org/
Department of Public Health: https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19, call 2-1-1, or text COVIDMA to 888-777.
Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
