As the Department of Public Health 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 3240 cases of COVID-19 and a total of 29371 tests have been performed.
- Today, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Administration agreed to extend the 2019 individual income tax filing and payment deadline to July 15, 2020, which aligns with the deadline for federal income tax filing. Click here to learn more.
- Starting today, all travelers arriving in Massachusetts are instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days. Visitors are instructed not to travel to Massachusetts if they are displaying systems. If you have been designated an essential worker, you are exempt from this. To learn more, click here.
- Today, the House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to support cities and towns in light of COVID-19. This legislation allows for greater flexibility relating to municipal governance, allows for the delivery of wine and beer through restaurant delivery, and lifts the cap on work hours of retired public employees. Read a fact sheet prepared by my office here. The bill now goes to the Senate.
- Buoy Health has launched a new online resource for Massachusetts residents to check their symptoms and connect them with appropriate health care resources. This online tool is available 24/7 and is free for Massachusetts residents. To learn more visit Buoy’s website here.
- Massachusetts medical schools will facilitate the early graduation of their qualified fourth-year students to allow a graduate to support the health care workforce during the COVID-19 response. The Board of Registration in Medicine will provide these graduates that have matched as an intern, resident, or fellow with a Board-approved Massachusetts health care facility or training programing with a 90-Day Limited Licenses to practice medicine.
- Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in good standing will now have greater flexibility in their prescribing practices if they have at least two years of supervised practice experience. To learn more, read the order here.
- The Commonwealth is working with the Massachusetts Medical Society to match volunteers with our counties and health care providers based on skillsets and needs. There is a need for respiratory therapists and public health nurses. If you are an interested health care professional, sign up to volunteer here.
- Attorney General Maura Healey has filed emergency regulation to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive debt collection practices during the COVID-19 outbreak. This regulation prohibits creditors from engaging in methods of debt collection that can require people to leave their homes or have in-person contact. To learn more, visit the AG’s resources website.
- 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
- In Needham, the Select Board has moved the Annual Town Election to May 26, 2020. Click here for more information from Needham.
- Today, Medfield announced their first positive test result for COVID-19. To learn more about Medfield’s response to COVID-19 visit here.
- In Dover, the Council on Aging is facilitating a pen pals program between children and older adults. Donated cards and notes will be delivered to older adults’ homes to brighten their day. There’s a card collection box at the back entrance to Caryl Community Center. Write a note with a return address on an attached envelope and the COA will make the connection to a senior (Just please do not lick envelopes – leave flaps open or use tape). More info is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.161598058638926&type=3.
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