As the COVID-19 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 are a total of 104,667 cases of COVID-19 and a total of 678,925 tests have been performed. You can access a summary of case details and lab testing and cases by hospital facility and additional COVID-19 response reporting on the dashboard here.
- The Health Connector has announced extended enrollment for uninsured Massachusetts residents through June 23, 2020. To share information on this special enrollment period and health insurance coverage options, the Health Connector will be offering a Webinar on June 17 from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more information, click here.
- Today, applications opened for the new $36 million Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program to ensure that individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth have access to fresh, local food. The Request for Responses for project proposals is available here.
Local Updates
- In Needham, social service providers have created a resource guide for COVID-19. This guide is a centralized place for information and resources from providers in Needham. To access this guide, click here.
- In Dover, the Town is holding virtual information sessions on the Annual Town Meeting for community members. The next session will be held on Thursday, June 18 at 6:30 PM. For more information on Town Meeting, click here.
- In Medfield, the Board of Selectmen will be considering reducing the quorum of the 2020 Annual Town Meeting at the June 16, 2020 Board of Selectmen meeting. Town Meeting quorum may be lowered by a vote of the Board of Selectmen in consultation with the Town Moderator. For more information, click here.
Reopening Updates – Phase 2: Cautious
- Massachusetts is currently in Phase 2 of the reopening plan. The first part of Phase 2 includes the opening of retail, childcare facilities, restaurants, hotels and lodging, warehouses, personal services without close physical contact, post-secondary, higher education, vocational-tech and occupation schools, youth and adult amateur sports, outdoor recreation facilities, professional sports practices, non-athletic youth instructional classes, driving and flight schools, outdoor historical spaces, and funeral homes.
- These businesses will be operating under careful guidelines, which can be accessed by clicking here.
- If you have questions, input, or comments regarding the Reopening Massachusetts plan, you can submit comments online. These comments can be used by the Administration to support efforts to methodically reopen the economy admits the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for the form.
Resources
- 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.
- 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.
- If you do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits but have lost your job due to COVID-19, you may qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance under the federal CARES Act. To learn more, click here.
- To apply for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)benefits call Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 (M-F from 8 AM-7 PM & Saturday from 10 AM-2 PM.)
- The WIC (Women, Infants, & Children Nutrition) program provides families with healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other services for families. To check your eligibility and apply for WIC, click here.
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
