April 24 Coronavirus Update

Some positive news from the Governor’s press conference today: our state’s Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Monica Bharel, made her first public appearance since recovering from COVID-19 which she contracted last month. Dr. Bharel has fully recovered and spoke about her experience with the virus, sharing some important lessons:

1. The virus can impact anyone, even those who practice social distancing, because it is so highly infectious, which underscores the need to take precautions seriously.
2. Although the virus affects everyone differently, prevention measures are critical because those who do need treatment depend on hospital beds and care providers being available.
3. Our long-term response to this pandemic will rely on robust testing and contact tracing operations so that when individuals do get sick, we can quickly and accurately track the spread of the virus and alert those who may be impacted.

Coronavirus Testing and Response

• There are 50,969 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 4,946 new cases and 2,556 deaths as of today at 4pm. 
• NOTICE FROM DPH: Today’s data reflects a correction of a reporting error made by Quest, a national commercial laboratory, which affected case counts in multiple states including Massachusetts. DPH received a backlog this week of almost 10,000 patient results (both positive and negative) from Quest dating back to April 13. These cases are included for the first time in today’s data – hence the large number of new cases. The positive test rate remains in line with previously reported testing data.
• Overall, over 215,000 tests have been conducted by public and private sources.
• The Department of Public Health has updated its daily reporting dashboard to include more detailed information on hospitalizations, demographic data, and county-by-county breakdowns. To view the new dashboard, check here.

Health Care

• Personal protective equipment: PPE continues to be distributed across the Commonwealth. In the MetroWest region, roughly 868,000 pieces of PPE have been distributed, including 193,000 N95 masks and 136 ventilators. A detailed distribution chart updated through today can be found here.
• Hospital Bed Capacity: Massachusetts’s hospital bed capacity for the surge currently sits at 18,200 ICU and non-ICU beds. As of  April 24, 55% of beds are available statewide, including 44% of beds in the MetroWest region.
• Mobile testing at long-term care facilities: The state’s National Guard mobile testing initiative continues, with the Department of Public Health reporting that 356 facility visits have resulted in 13,342 tests through yesterday.
• The Massachusetts Health Connector has extended its enrollment period to May 25th for coverage beginning July 1 to ensure that any individuals needing to change their health insurance plans have adequate time to browse the health insurance market and get enrolled. For more information, visit this page.
• Massachusetts has requested two waivers from the federal government to administer the MassHealth (our state’s Medicaid program) more smoothly under the conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. These waivers, once approved, will allow for increasing flexibility in telehealth services for MassHealth patients and will allow for qualified individuals to enroll in MassHealth more quickly even if they do not have the full documentation submitted. In this unprecedented time, ensuring that Massachusetts residents remain insured and retain access to care is a critical component of our public health response.
• The latest federal stimulus package, passed this week by Congress, includes $75 billion for hospitals and health care worker costs associated with COVID-19 and $25 billion to accelerate COVID-19 research and expanded testing capacity.

Unemployment and Worker Assistance

• Since opening on Monday, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program has processed over 100,000 claims for self-employed workers, independent contractors, and gig economy workers who have been unable to work due to COVID-19. More information on the program can be found at https://mass.gov/pua.
• The regular unemployment assistance program continues to operate, receiving another 80,000 new claims this week and 650,000 total since March 15. 400,000 of those claims have been processed already, and a call center of nearly 1,000 customer service employees is making over 20,000 calls a day.
• Under both programs, the federal pandemic unemployment compensation payments ($600 in additional weekly assistance) are being distributed and will continued to be payed through July 31.

Small Business

• The latest federal stimulus package significantly expands funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, providing an additional $310 billion for the PPP and $50 billion for the EIDL.
• Congresswoman Clark’s office reports that those who have already applied for the EIDL program should still be in line to have their applications processed and funding disbursed. For those who have applied to the PPP and were not denied but did not receive a response, businesses are encouraged to reach out to their lender.
• The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce is holding a free Zoom webinar on May 1 at 10 am providing strategies for businesses to prepare to effectively work to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can register online here.

Additional Items

• Legislation allowing for virtual notarization services was enacted by both chambers at the end of this week and now travels to the Governor for his signature.
• MetroWest Legal Services updated its COVID-19 resource page with new information about unemployment assistance, housing assistance, and other legal services related to the impacts of COVID-19.

Resources for Residents Experiencing Job Loss or Loss of Income

COVID-19 is causing broad disruption to the economy which is affecting incomes of many residents and families. There are a number of state resources and supports available to support workers who may find themselves unemployed or otherwise income-constrained during this uncertain time. 

For your convenience, you can find a guide of resources and information at: https://carolyndykema.com/covid19-state-resources/.

Additional Guidance on Unemployment Assistance

• Updated Guidance for Self-Employed Individuals and those who have exhausted existing benefits.
• Massachusetts Employee Unemployment Benefits FAQ
• Department of Unemployment Assistance Virtual Town Hall Schedule and Sign-Up