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The Garlick Press – October 19, 2020

Oct 19, 2020

The Garlick Press – October 19, 2020

Local Updates

  • In all towns, the in-person early voting period will begin on October 17 – October 30. Early voting is taking place each day during this period at the Needham Town Hall, Dover Town House, and Medfield Town Hall. For information on specific hours for early voting, click here.
  • In Needham, the League of Women Voters of Needham has put together a Voter Information Toolkit for the election ending on November 3, 2020. This includes information on voting options and information on candidates and ballot questions. For more information, click here.
  • In Dover, the Town of Dover provided an update regarding Boston College’s plan to use the Connors Center on Glen St for isolation of students with COVID-19 if the college has a large outbreak. Town Officials are reviewing the college’s plan to ensure that it will take appropriate precautionary measures. To learn more, click here.
  • In Medfield, the Board of Health is asking residents to follow the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidance for Halloween. The Board of Health recommends that residents keep activities outside, maintain social distancing, wear protective face masks, and maintain good hand-washing. To learn more, click here.

Local Calendar

  • In Needham,
    • The Substance Prevention Alliance of Needham (SPAN) will be meeting on Tuesday, October 20 at 8:30 AM via Zoom. They will be discussing creating connections that court. To learn more, click here.
    • The Needham Unite Against Racism Working Group is hosting its first meeting on Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00 PM via Zoom. This is an introductory meeting that will cover why the group was established and what the group has been charged with to complete. For more information, click here.
  • In Dover,
    • The Dover School Committee will be meeting on Tuesday, October 20 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. They will be discussing their Capital Plan, their October 1 Annual Enrollment Report, and more. To learn more, click here.
    • The Board of Selectmen will be meeting on Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 PM. At this meeting Representative Garlick will present on the state budget. The agenda and meeting information will be found on the town calendar.
  • In Medfield,
    • The Board of Selectmen will be meeting on Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. At this meeting Representative Garlick will be in attendance to discuss the State Budget and the Board will discuss the Dale Street School Project. To learn more, click here.

Statewide Updates

  • The MBTA is piloting new real-time information on crowding to keep riders informed during COVID-19. You can find information on crowding for MBTA bus routes and the Red Line, Orange Line, and Blue Line. To find this information, click here.
  • On Friday, the Department of Public Health is updating its criteria for designating which states are high risk for the COVID-19 travel order. Two weeks of data will now be considered before moving a state from high risk to lower risk. The current low risk states are California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Washington, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington D.C.
  • The Department of Public Health is monitoring the presence of mosquito-borne diseases in Massachusetts, including West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Currently, Massachusetts has found positive mosquito samples of WNV and EEE and there are 5 known human cases of EEE and 8 known human cases of WNV. To learn more, click here.

Reopening Updates – Phase 3: Vigilant

  • The State is currently in Phase 3 of Massachusetts Reopening. 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 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for the form.

Resources

  • If you are in need of resources, information, or support, please visit my website for a list of resources. Additionally, 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:

Please remember social distancing and wearing a mask 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.govPhone: 617-722-2380