COVID-19: March 15, 2021 Update from Representative Dykema

March 16, 2021 / Press Release /

March 15th COVID-19 Update

As we have now passed the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wide-reaching economic impacts of this global crisis cannot be overstated. Every worker and every business in every sector of our economy has been affected by COVID-19, some catastrophically. Bringing our economy back to pre-pandemic levels will take a coordinated local, state, and federal response that will likely last years, but we are already making progress. Last week, key legislation was passed on both the state and federal level to support our economic recovery from COVID-19.

H.89, An Act financing a program for improvements to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and providing relief to employers and workers in the Commonwealth, which passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously, provides support for both workers and small businesses as they continue to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provisions include the guarantee of emergency paid sick leave due to COVID-19, the continuation of additional unemployment benefits, a freeze to the rates business owners pay into the unemployment insurance trust fund, and tax code updates to increase the impact of the Paycheck Protection Program on small businesses.

Last week, Congress also passed and the Governor signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package to increase funding for COVID-19 response and support economic recovery across the country. You can read more about the American Rescue Plan’s state and local provisions courtesy of Congresswoman Clark’s office here.

The state’s Department of Unemployment Assistance has also updated its information on benefits to reflect the changes recently passed in the American Rescue Plan. If your employment status has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including being temporarily laid off, working reduced hours, or being furloughed, you may be eligible for benefits.

More information about the past week’s COVID-19 cases and vaccine distribution can be found below. One update I want to be sure to share is that you can now pre-register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Commonwealth’s mass vaccination sites at vaccinesignup.mass.gov. You can find more information on that process here. Supplies are still extremely limited and current eligibility rules have not changed, but this process will help to facilitate a smoother vaccine distribution process moving forward as more populations become eligible.

News Updates

Below is a summary of the most recent efforts to respond to the wide range of needs in our communities. For a summary of previously issued guidance and state restrictions related to the coronavirus epidemic, visit mass.gov/covid19. For previous updates visit carolyndykema.com/covid19.

Coronavirus Testing and Response

Today, the state saw 1,004 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 569,620 total cases and 28 reported deaths as of today at 5pm.
The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,378, and the average number of deaths is 34.
The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 1.7%.
36,564 new molecular tests for COVID-19 were reported in the Commonwealth today.
The Department of Public Health regularly releases a daily reporting dashboard containing detailed information on hospitalizations, demographic data, and county-by-county breakdowns of cases. To view the DPH dashboard, visit here.

Heath Care (as of 3/15)

Hospitalization: 624 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, an increase of 7 from yesterday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is 660.
Hospital Capacity: 20% of the Commonwealth’s non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (27% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 21% of the region’s non-ICU beds are available for new patients (32% of regional ICU beds are available).
Long-term care: There are 424 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 34,785 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 8,765 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in long-term care facilities.
For information on COVID-19 testing and guidance on whether you should get tested, how to get tested, and where to get tested, visit the COVID-19 testing portal at mass.gov/gettested.

Vaccine Distribution

Last week, 364,216 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered. To date, 2,288,923 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in MA.
Last week, 382,340 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were shipped to Massachusetts. To date, 2,680,940 doses have been shipped to MA.
For more information, you can review the weekly COVID-19 vaccine report on this page.

Local Update

This week’s public health report contains town-by-town numbers on positive cases in each community, as well as a color-coded risk assessment for each city or town. This week’s numbers for the towns of the 8th Middlesex District can be found below, and the full weekly public health report can be found here.
Holliston: 670 (+16 from last week); moderate risk
Hopkinton: 692 (+18); moderate risk
Southborough: 412 (+9); moderate risk
Westborough: 1,331 (+37); moderate risk

Education

The interactive data dashboard now contains weekly information on testing and positive cases in Massachusetts-based colleges and universities, which can be found here.
615 new COVID-19 cases associated with higher education testing were reported last week. 13,275 total cases have been reported associated with higher education testing.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education now reports student and staff positive cases reported by school districts within the last week. These reports count all positive cases among students participating in-person or hybrid learning models, and staff who have been in a school building within 7 days of a positive test. Last week’s report and reporting definitions can be found here.
Holliston: 1 student, 0 staff
Hopkinton: 0 students, 0 staff
Southborough: 0 students, 0 staff
Nboro-Sboro: 2 students, 0 staff
Westborough: 4 students, 0 staff

Travel

The state’s COVID-19 travel order, which requires testing or self-quarantine for all visitors and returning residents from all higher-risk U.S. states, is updated weekly based on new public health data from around the country. Information on the order can be found here and information on changes to the state risk designations can be found below.
Lower-risk states/territories: Hawaii, Missouri, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington
Removed last week: None
Added last week: None
NOTE: If you have gotten two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines or one dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine more than 14 days ago and do not have symptoms, you do not need to have a negative test before traveling to Massachusetts or quarantine when you arrive.

Local and State Resources

Town Resources

All of the towns in the 8th Middlesex District have centralized COVID-19 resource pages with resources, updates, and alerts regarding town services.

Holliston | Hopkinton | Southborough | Westborough

Job/Income Loss Resources

COVID-19 is also 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.

Guide for job/income loss resources: https://carolyndykema.com/covid19-state-resources

Department of Unemployment Assistance

Department of Transitional Assistance