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 10,402 cases of COVID-19 and a total of 62,962 tests have been performed.
- Today, the Governor signed legislation passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate to address challenges faced by municipalities and state authorities. The legislation officially extends the state income tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020, for individuals, offers town flexibility around the scheduling of Town Meetings and local property tax deadlines, and allows licensed restaurants to sell certain alcoholic beverages with food take-out and delivery orders, among other provisions. Read the legislation here.
- Today, the state launched the COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. This initiative is a collaboration between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Partners in Health and will focus on tracing the contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients and individuals in quarantine. The Collaborative will deploy nearly 1,000 contact tracers across the Commonwealth to connect with COVID-19 patients and their contacts to support Massachusetts’ efforts to track and contain the virus. This is the first contact tracing program in the country.
- The Department of Conservation and Recreation has issued an advisory to postpone the start of shoreline fishing at Quabbin Reservoir, Sudbury Reservoir, and Wachusett Reservoir until May 9.
- Today, the RMV released an advisory that all AAA Northeast locations will close for at least two weeks starting Monday, April 6.
- 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.
- 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.
Local Updates
- Small businesses and sole proprietors can begin applying for the Paycheck Protection Program starting today, and independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply beginning on Friday, April 10. To learn more, click here.
- Project Bread is offering grants for school districts and organizations that are providing meals for children 0-18 through the Summer Food Service Program and 0-21 through the Seamless Summer Option under the National School Lunch Program during the COVID-19 crisis. For more information and to apply, click here.
- In Needham, trash can no longer be disposed of at the Recycling and Transfer Station without first being placed in a yellow bag. These bags can be purchased in-store, by curbside pickup at Harvey’s Hardware and Volante Farms, or by delivery at Roche Bros Supermarket and Sudbury Farms.
- In Needham, Needham Public Schools will be offering Grab and Go lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays for any student in the district on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- In Dover, Town Administrator Chris Dwelley provided a COVID-19 Update for the Town of Dover. You can watch this update on the Dover-Sherborn Cable YouTube here.
- In Medfield, the Medfield Board of Health has announced three new positive cases of COVID-19. There are a total of six cases in Medfield. You can continue to receive updates from Medfield on the Town’s COVID-19 website here.
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
