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 are a total of 72,025 cases of COVID-19 and a total of 339,639 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.
- Today, the House of Representatives met in the first-ever remote formal session to unanimously pass legislation to authorize necessary state borrowing during the COVID-19 public health emergency. To learn more, click here.
- Today, the Governor’s Order requiring face masks and coverings in public both inside and outside when social distancing is not possible went into effect. The Department of Public Health has a guide on wearing face masks in public, click here to read it.
- Today, Massachusetts was awarded $3.9M under FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program through the CARES Act. This funding is meant to support organizations that feed, shelter, and provide critical resources to people experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, hunger, homelessness.
- Today is National Nurses Day, thousands of skilled nurses are working on the frontlines of this pandemic. As a Registered Nurse myself, watch my message of gratitude on Facebook here.
Local Updates
- On Monday, May 11, Representative Garlick will be offering another opportunity for virtual office hours. There will be 15-minute slots for constituents to sign up for and share their issues and concerns between 11:00AM-12:00PM and 1:00PM-2:00PM. Meetings can be conducted via Zoom or phone call. To sign up for a slot click here.
- In Needham, Youth and Family Services, the Needham Public Library, and the Council on Aging have created a social distancing activities calendar for the month of May. To access this calendar, click here.
- In Dover, the Parks and Recreation Department has canceled all programs and events scheduled to meet on or before Tuesday, June 30, 2020, due to the COVID-19 health emergency. All registered participants for these programs will be contacted directly over the following days with specific details. Decisions on July programs and events will be made on June 1.
- In Medfield, on Thursday, May 7 the Board of Health will be meeting remotely via zoom at 12:30PM. Click here for the agenda and for information on how to join the meeting.
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 8am-7pm & Saturday from 10am-2pm.)
- 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.
- 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
