The Garlick Press – Thursday, February 4, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Over the last week I have heard from many members of the Needham, Dover, and Medfield communities about the difficulty of registering for the COVID-19 vaccine. One of the many challenges faced by individuals is the limited availability for locations close to home and concerns over finding transportation for appointments that are further away. I wanted to share with you all that four new sites have been announced in Needham, Medfield, and Newton. Two of the four locations are open to all individuals eligible under state guidelines. More information on these sites will be released in the coming days, and information will be on the Massachusetts Vaccine webpage as it becomes available: https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine

List of Newly Announced COVID-19 Vaccine Sites:

CVS Vaccine Location in Medfield

Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst in Newton

Trip Advisor Vaccine Location in Needham open for Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Mass General Brigham Patients

Former Boston Sports Club Vaccine Location in Newton open for Beth Israel Lahey Patients

Yours in Service,

Denise

• In Needham, the Town is continuing to accept applications for Emergency Rental Assistance for residents who have lost income due to the COVID-10 pandemic. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been committed. To learn more, click here.
• In Dover, the Town Caucus will not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the Town Clerk will be preparing nomination papers for the 12 open positions on Elected Boards for 2021. The last day to turn in signed nomination papers for certification is Monday, March 29. To learn more, click here.
• In Medfield, the Board of Selectmen will be meeting on Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The agenda for this meeting has not be shared yet. For more information, click here.

• Today, 4,043 businesses received funding from the Sector-Specific Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. 24 businesses in Needham and Medfield received funding in this round. For more information, click here.
• On February 8 at 5:00 AM the 25% capacity limit on businesses will be lifted and will return to 40% capacity. This includes restaurants, close contact personal services, recreational businesses, driving and flight schools, gyms, libraries, museums, retail, offices, places of worship, lodging, golf, and movie theaters. For sector-specific information, click here.
• The Department of Unemployment Assistance has implemented the extended Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and payments after the week ending December 26, 2020 began being paid on Monday, January 11, 2021.
• The extended Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) Program is still being implemented in UI Online. Claimants should expect to see payments in their account, including retroactive payments to the week ending January 2, 2021, if eligible, early next week.

• Massachusetts is currently in Phase 3, Step 1 of Massachusetts Reopening. This will reduce capacity for many sectors and tighten workplace restrictions. Additionally, restaurants, gyms, and offices have additional guidelines to follow. To learn more, click 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 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for the form.

• 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:

• Needham Health Department Updates
• Medfield Updates
• Dover Updates
• Department of Public Health: Click here or Call 2-1-1.
• Reopening Massachusetts
• COVID-19 Travel Order
• Centers for Disease Control